What Percent of Air Travel Is Business?

By Anna Duncan

Business travel has become increasingly popular in recent years, as businesses become more global and need to have their employees travel to different cities or countries in order to conduct business. Air travel is often the most efficient way of accomplishing this, as it allows for quick and easy long-distance transportation. But just how much of the air travel industry is taken up by business travelers?

It’s difficult to say definitively, as there is no one source that tracks this information. However, a survey conducted by the Air Transport Association in 2018 found that around 45 percent of domestic air travelers were on business trips.

This number drops slightly when looking at international air travelers, with an estimated 40 percent of international travelers being on business trips. This suggests that while a large portion of air travelers are still leisure travelers, a significant portion are traveling for work-related reasons.

Other studies have come up with similar results. The Global Business Travel Association estimates that around 35 percent of all air travel is for business purposes, while a survey from Expedia found that nearly half of all domestic flights were taken for work-related reasons. While these numbers may vary slightly from year to year, there is no denying that business travel makes up a significant portion of the overall air travel industry.

In conclusion, it appears that around 40-45 percent of all domestic and international air travel is taken up by business travelers. This number may fluctuate slightly from year to year, but it remains relatively consistent despite changes in the economy and other factors. Businesses will continue to rely on air travel in order to transport their employees quickly and efficiently, ensuring that they remain competitive in the global market.