The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has announced industry performance statistics for 2016 showing that system-wide, airlines carried 3.8 billion passengers on scheduled services last year, an increase of 7%.

Among the highlights:

• Airlines in the Asia-Pacific region again carried the largest number of passengers. The regional ranking (based on total passengers carried on scheduled services by airlines registered in that region) is:

1. Asia-Pacific 35% market share (1.3bn, +11.3%)

2. Europe 26% (992.4m, +6.1%)

3. North America 24% (911.5m, +3%)

4. Latin America 7% (275.1m, +1.8%)

5. Middle East 5% (206.1m, +9.1%)

6. Africa 2% (84m, +6%).

• The top five airlines ranked by total scheduled passengers carried (domestic and international) were:

1. Southwest Airlines (151.8m)

2. American Airlines (144.2m)

3. Delta Air Lines (143.3m)

4. China Southern Airlines (114.5m)

5. Ryanair (112m)

• The top five international/regional passenger airport-pairs were almost the same as they were in 2015, and all were within the Asia-Pacific region:

1. Hong Kong-Taipei (5.2m, +2.1%)

2. Jakarta-Singapore (3.4m, +0.9%)

3. Bangkok Suvarnabhumi-Hong Kong (3m, –3.14%)

4. Kuala Lumpur–Singapore (2.8m, +3.3%)

5. Hong Kong-Seoul (2.8m, –15%)

• The top five domestic passenger airport-pairs were also all in the Asia-Pacific region:

1. Jeju-Seoul Gimpo (11.6m, +4.6%)

2. Sapporo-Tokyo Haneda (7.7m, –1.2%)

3. Fukuoka-Tokyo Haneda (7.3m, –4%)

4. Melbourne-Tullamarine-Sydney (7.3m, –4.6%)

5. Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City (6.4m, +16.2%)