GENEVA, Switzerland, Feb. 28 (UPI) -- Global air travel rose 7.9 percent in January from a year ago, the International Air Transport Association reported Monday.
But cargo travel saw an even bigger increase than passenger flights, rising 15.5 percent from the previous year, the IATA reported.
The Geneva-based group that represents most of the world's major airlines reported Asia-Pacific, Middle Eastern, and European carriers "are reporting increasingly better profit numbers while the U.S. industry continues to experience severe difficulties."
For the year, the IATA's Director General Giovanni Bisignani said passenger travel could rise by 5.9 percent from a year ago, but cautioned "the bottom line remains at risk."
"The persistent high price of fuel will be difficult to absorb," he said. "While the profitability picture for the industry increasingly regionalized, there is a universal theme for 2005 austerity. There is no panacea for the problems of the industry, but cost control must be firmly at the top of the agenda for all players."
