Airlines reported an increase in passenger traffic in all regions for May, despite continued fragility in the market due to civil unrest and natural disasters.
Passenger numbers rose 6.8% in May 2011, compared to the same month in 2010, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Giovanni Bisignani, IATA's CEO, said the rise would “help to alleviate some of the pressure on profits from continued high fuel prices”.
Of the regions, Latin American airlines saw the strongest growth in May, with a rise in international passenger traffic of 21.3%.
European carriers came in second place in terms of growth, at 10.9%, which IATA suggested was due to increased northern European economic activity and a weaker Euro encouraging trade and inbound travel.
Middle East airlines meanwhile recorded an expansion of 7.8% in May 2010. IATA said the political unrest in the region is having a “dramatic” effect on some smaller markets, but the overall impact is “limited”.
Airlines in the Asia Pacific region saw passenger traffic grow 4.7%, North American carriers by 4.5% and African airlines by 1.1%.
Bisignani warned that while “there are risks” associated with disturbances in the Middle East and the European currency crisis, he still expects the aviation industry to make $4 billion in 2011.
However, this predicted profit represents “a pathetic 0.7% margin and another shock could alter the industy's fortunes dramatically”, he said.
“It's another tough year for a very fragile industry.”