New Delhi, Oct 25 (IANS): India's air passenger traffic is expected to reach 478 million passengers by 2036, a global airline association said on Tuesday.

According to the International Air Transport Association's (IATA) 20-year air passenger forecast, India will add 337 million new passengers by 2036.

"UK will fall to fifth place, surpassed by India in 2025, and Indonesia in 2030," the forecast said.

On the global level, IATA expects 7.8 billion passengers to travel in 2036, a near doubling of the 4 billion air travellers expected to fly this year.

The association's 20-Year Air Passenger forecast said that the prediction is based on a 3.6 per cent average compound annual growth rate (CAGR)

"All indicators lead to growing demand for global connectivity. The world needs to prepare for a doubling of passengers in the next 20 years. It's fantastic news for innovation and prosperity, which is driven by air links. It is also a huge challenge for governments and industry to ensure we can successfully meet this essential demand," said IATA's Director General and CEO Alexandre de Juniac.