The International Air Transport Association forecasts the global air travel market to almost double within two decades.
IATA expects 7.8 billion passengers will travel by air by 2036, up from the estimated four billion this year.
It points to the populous Asia-Pacific region as the biggest driver of growth with 275 airlines accounting for 83% of global traffic.
It will account for more than half of all new passengers in the next 20 years.
"It’s fantastic news for innovation and prosperity, which is driven by air links. It is also a huge challenge for governments and industry to ensure we can successfully meet this essential demand," said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s director general and CEO.
"Increasing demand will bring a significant infrastructure challenge," De Juniac added.
IATA now expects China to overtake the US as the largest air travel market by 2022.
That is two years sooner than a previous projection by IATA.
It expects China to create an additional 921 million passengers by 2036 for a total of about 1.5 billion.
The US will also continue to grow to around 1.1 billion annual trips by air.
Other fast-growing markets include India, Indonesia and Turkey.
