Air travel, once considered a luxury, has increasingly become a necessity. It has fostered globalization and created a unique worldwide network. Whether uniting families, making a "just-in-time" delivery or conveniently linking Paris, Texas, with Paris, France, the world's remarkable aviation system is continually expanding and creating opportunities once considered unattainable.

Currently, more than four billion passengers and over 80 million tons of cargo are accommodated annually throughout the world. Over the next 20 years, air passenger travel and freight is expected to grow an average of 4.9 and 6.1 percent a year, respectively, while the global economy is expected to rise 3.1 percent annually. Led by Asia, where large developing economies like China and India maintain annual air traffic growth rates of 10-20 percent, and the United States, where more than half of the world's 20 largest airports are located, air travel is set to at least double by 2020. The continued growth in passenger and freight demand necessitates upgrading and modernization at existing airports as well as the development of new greenfield facilities. Because airports and aviation have long been at the core of Berger's practice, the Berger Group's exceptional team of global aviation experts possess the proven experience and expertise to address these needs.

In 1954, Berger embarked on its first international aviation assignment, rehabilitating a runway in Bermuda. From this modest beginning, we developed into a global leader in the aviation field, providing planning, designing and construction supervision services at over 200 airports worldwide. In 2006, Engineering News Record once again ranked Berger among the five leading international engineering firms in the aviation sector. In this issue of BergerWorld, we proudly spotlight a number of our significant aviation assignments performed around the globe.