Commercial aviation turns100
Geneva: January 1 marked exactly 100 years since the birth of
commercial aviation. The International Air Transport Association (IATA)
invites everyone with an interest in aviation to join a year-long
celebration of the 100th anniversary and take part in a conversation
about what needs to happen to make the next 100 years even more
momentous.
On January 1, 1914, a team of four visionaries combined efforts in
the first scheduled commercial airline flight.
Percival Fansler organised the funding for the St. Petersburg-Tampa
Airboat Line which provided the first scheduled air service across Tampa
Bay, Florida. Thomas Benoist’s airboat conducted the first flight,
piloted by Tony Jannus.
Then Mayor of St. Petersburg, Abram Pheil, paid $400 at an auction
for the 23-minute flight.
These pioneers could not have envisioned the transformational changes
that would follow. The industry began with only one passenger on one
route on January 1, 1914. Today the global aviation industry provides
unprecedented connectivity and positively impacts — directly and
indirectly — people in all corners of the world.
Some key statistics include:
On average, every day more than eight million people fly. In 2013
total passenger numbers were 3.1 billion — surpassing the three billion
mark for the first time ever.
That number is expected to grow to 3.3 billion in 2014 (equivalent to
44% of the world’s population).
About 50 million tonnes of cargo is transported by air each year
(about 140,000 tonnes daily). The annual value of these goods is some $
6.4 trillion — or 35% of the value of goods traded internationally.
Aviation supports over 57 million jobs and generates $2.2 trillion in
economic activity. The industry’s direct economic contribution of around
$540 billion would, if translated into the GDP ranking of countries,
place the industry in 19th position. Global airline industry turnover is
expected to be $743 billion in 2014, with an average industry net profit
margin of 2.6%. “Over the last century, commercial aviation has
transformed the world in ways unimaginable in 1914. The first flight
provided a short-cut across Tampa Bay.
Today the aviation industry re-unites loved ones, connects cultures,
expands minds, opens markets, and fosters development. Aviation provides
people around the globe with the freedom to make connections that can
change their lives and the world,” said IATA Director General and CEO
Tony Tyler. |