Global air passenger demand grew by 9.5% in February, according to figures released by the International Air Transport Assocation (IATA).
The results showed a continued growth in air travel, with IATA predicting a possible return to pre-economic crisis levels of passenger demand by May.
Giovanni Bisignani, IATA's director general and CEO, said: "We are moving in the right direction. In two to three months, the industry should be back to pre-recession traffic levels. This is not a full recovery. The task ahead is to adjust to two years of lost growth."
The outlook for airlines in Europe remains "fragile", however, leading Bisignani criticised striking staff:
"We anticipate Europe to post $2.2bn in losses this year - the highest among the regions... It is disappointing to see labour at European airlines engaging in strikes when the fragile industry needs to focus on improving efficiency and reducing costs," he said
European carriers posted the weakest growth in passenger demand at 4.3%, with north America only slightly higher, at 4.4%.
The strongest growth in demand was recorded by middle eastern carriers, at 25.8%. Latin American carriers' demand grew by 8.5%, while that of African carriers grew by 9.2%.
www.iata.org