World air travelers top 4 bil. in 2017, Asia-Pacific leads growth

Worldwide annual air passengers exceeded 4 billion for the first time in 2017 amid a global economic recovery and lower airfares, with airlines in the Asia-Pacific region leading the growth, according to the International Air Transport Association.The IATA said Thursday 4.1 billion passengers flew last year, up 7.3 percent from 2016, or an additional 280 million trips. Increases in direct flight services between cities have cut costs and travel time for travelers and shippers, making flights more attractive, it added.Airlines in the Asia-Pacific region carried the largest number of passenge…READ FULL ARTICLE