Air travel demand bounces back

The world started flying again in 2010, according to data released February 2 by airline industry group IATA. Releasing the final figures for last year, the International Air Transport Association said that passenger flights rose 8.2 percent through the year, and Planes were slightly (2.7 percent) fuller than in 2009.

The rise comes despite an exceptionally difficult year for airlines in 2010, which saw freak weather, several strikes and a massive ash cloud cause disruption to flights on a scale not seen in recent history.

Nevertheless, all areas of the world saw strong increases in demand, led by the Middle East, where huge new airliners delivered to the likes of Emirates enabled them to fly 17.8 percent more passengers than in 2009. Africa saw a sharp rise in demand of 12.9 percent, although IATA warned that Planes in the region are far less full than the industry's average, at just under 70 percent occupancy.

Source: The Independent