Air transport supports 6 million jobs and $26 billion in GDP across the least-developed countries (LDCs). That is 1.5% of all employment and 1.7% of all GDP in the LDCs in 2023.
The air transport industry in the LDC economies generated an estimated 140,000 direct jobs in 2023, broken down as follows:
- Airline workers: 83,000 (61% of the total)
- Airport operators: 18,000 (13%)
- Other on-airport roles: 31,000 (23%)
- Air navigation service providers: 4,100 (3%)
In 2023, the operations of businesses within the air transport sector in the LDCs directly generated a $5.4 billion contribution to GDP.