The air transport industry is one of the most efficient sectors measured in terms of GDP per worker. At US$ 65,000 per worker per year, this is around three and a half times the average across the world economy as a whole and exceeds most other sectors of the economy. This means that air transport employees individually make a greater contribution to the global economy. There are several reasons for this: • The industry is highly capital-intensive. • The air transport industry is typically concentrated in more developed economies, where it makes a greater than average contribution to the global economy simply because GDP per worker is generally higher. • Air transport employees are highly skilled, trained and experienced - and the industry carries out intensive research and development. Aviation sector Air transport Employment + Indirect + Induced + Tourism catalytics + Other catalytics (incl. trade) GDP 4.3m 5.1m 10.8m 13.5m 29m + US$ 700 bn US$ 330 bn US$ 275 bn US$ 880 bn US$ 1,180 bn US$ 2,960 bn Global economic impact – employment and GDP, 2004 GDP in billions of US$ 0 20 40 60 80 100 0 20 40 60 80 100 Air transport Communication GDP per worker (US$ in 2004) US Business services Financial services Manufacturing Services Construction Non-market services Europe Global GDP per worker by sector, 2004
As a capital-intensive business, productivity per worker is very high – indeed it is three and a half times the average in other sectors.