IATA: Aviation profit won't even cover hot dog at World Cup

The global aviation industry's projected per-passenger profit won't even cover a hot dog at most World Cup stadiums, IATA Senior Vice President for Sustainability and Chief Economist Marie Owens Thomsen said at a press conference during the 82nd IATA Annual General Meeting and the World Air Transport Summit (WATS), according to a Report correspondent from Rio de Janeiro.

Thomsen said the financial sector and the oil and gas industry traditionally demonstrate significantly higher profitability than the aviation industry.

"The aviation industry's net margin has never exceeded 5%. In this context, a net margin of 2% equates to approximately $23 billion in profit for all of global aviation. In some years, this is comparable only to the quarterly profit of a single major oil company," Thomsen noted.

She recalled that IATA previously expected fuel costs to account for approximately 27% of airlines' total costs in 2026. However, the forecast has now been revised upward.

"We now expect fuel costs to reach 31% of total industry costs. If we divide the projected global aviation profit of $23 billion by the total number of passengers, we get only $4.50 per person.

We often compare this amount to what it could buy. For example, this amount wouldn't even buy a hot dog at most World Cup stadiums," the IATA chief economist emphasized.