PT World
Elizabeth Baker
16 April 2025
According to an Airports Council International Asia-Pacific and Middle East (ACI APAC & MID) survey of over 30 airports from the region, airports in the APAC and Middle East regions have a combined investment of US$240bn dedicated to both upgrading existing facilities and building new airports between 2025 and 2035,
The findings indicated a strategic focus on both the modernization of existing airports and the development of new airport infrastructure. Specifically, the research found that US$136bn would be invested to upgrade existing airports, creating an additional 680 million passenger capacity and 14 million tons of cargo capacity. Furthermore, US$104bn will reportedly be allocated to build new airports, adding 562 million passenger capacity and 57 million tons of cargo capacity.
This combined investment will create additional capacity for 1.24 billion passengers – the equivalent of more than 13 airports the size of Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest airport for international passengers – and 71 million tons of cargo capacity, which equals nearly 14 times the cargo throughput of Hong Kong International Airport, the world’s top-ranked airport for cargo. This significant increase will ensure airports in APAC and the Middle East are well equipped to handle anticipated future growth.
