According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the Asia-Pacific region became the world's largest aviation market in 2009, surpassing North America and now accounting for more than a quarter of all air travelers.

In 2009 Asia-Pacific had 647 million air travelers compared to 638 million for North America. The global recession continues but some world regions are showing signs of a slower decline or even an increase in passenger numbers. Latin America and the Middle East were the only two regions where passenger numbers increased in 2009. The decline in travelers has been most felt in Europe and North America, though both regions slowed the pace of decline in travelers by the end of 2009. However, it was not enough to keep Asia-Pacific from catapulting to the top of the "word's busiest" category.

Airlines have been cutting back flights, staff and routes and the decline in passenger numbers has been steep, especially in North America. Globally, airlines are beginning to show signs of recovery and IATA claims that prospects for Asia-Pacific carriers are improving faster than for other regions. IATA Director General and CEO Giovanni Bisignani called the region "diverse, dynamic and with great potential."

What makes the Asia-Pacific region prime for a continuation of its status as world's busiest? IATA cites the fact that the region is home to two of the world's top five most profitable airlines. Additionally, the potential for growth cannot be understated. Based on population figures, three times as many seats are available annually for every citizen in the U.S. (roughly 300 million people) than in China (1.3 billion people) and nine times more than in India (1.1 billion people). Bisignani added: "the global air transportation industry will triple in size when Asians travel as much as those in the U.S." Given recent trends, and if aviation markets, pricing and ownership rules for carriers in Asia-Pacific continue to be liberalized, that may happen sooner than later.