The creation of a dedicated international aviation platform marked a significant step toward pooling global strengths to advance the high-standard development of trade in aviation services, which is vital to keeping global industrial and supply chains fluid and sustaining steady world economic growth, experts said.
The remarks came as the Global Alliance for Trade in Services (GATIS) officially held the founding conference of its Aviation Industry Committee in Beijing last Tuesday. During the event, Jiang Zengwei, president of GATIS — alongside the committee's chief expert — presented certificates to the first batch of member units and jointly unveiled the committee's official plaque.
In his keynote address, Jiang highlighted that the aviation sector is a key component of the national economy and global services trade. With a broad industrial chain and numerous interrelated links, the industry is vital to facilitating international travel and driving global economic recovery.
Jiang noted that the global aviation industry is currently on a solid recovery track. This aligns with a recent report by the International Air Transport Association, or IATA, which estimated global airline passenger numbers at 4.98 billion in 2025. The figure is expected to hit a record of 5.2 billion in 2026, up 4.4 percent year-on-year.
