More people dare to go by air!

Air travel rises across the world. The level of air passengers rose 19.4% during the first five months of 2004, compared to a year earlier.

Photo. Ryan Air from Ireland, one of the world`s most successful airline companies in the last years.

It said the industry had recovered from the SARS outbreak in Asia and war in Iraq, with all major regions of the world seeing an upturn in air travel. The figures are good news for an industry hit by higher fuel prices (referred from BBC`s website - www.bbc.com).

Oil prices have recently increased to historic highs due to the twin pressures of weak supply. This is mainly caused by the problems in Iraq and strong global demand. A number of the main airlines have therefore recently set up the price of their tickets.

Reported by BBC, the latest IATA figures will be a big moral boost for the industry. In May alone, the passengers' levels on all international routes were up 38% on the same month in 2003 when the impact of SARS and Iraq war were at their worst. The recovery in Asia was even more dramatic, with passenger levels up 108% in May.

According to the IATA the industry is now growing at 3.6% a year. This however is still only half the rate achieved during the late 1990s, and not what the airlines have expected.  The airlines companies hope for better times, but it's still uncertain how the passenger traffic will develop in the future.

Despite stricter security control at the airport checks and by the airlines, there are still people who feel unsafe due to the risk for terror actions. The terror threats continue, and some of them have to be taken seriously.

Fortunately the number of serious terror threats in the last months, have not scared travellers from travelling, especially not the travel explorers and adventurers. They would like to go anyhow!

Most people don't stop travelling. They just do it temporary and many find other places to go if some distances or destinations seem to be unsafe. The positive trend in air traffic will depends much of the number of terror threats in the future.

Stein Morten Lund, 2 August 2004

Additional information

For more information about the development in air travelling, click on the following link to BBC`s website:http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3848089.stm

The website for BBC: www.bbc.com

Presentation of IATA:
IATA brings together approximately 270 airlines, including the world's largest. Flights by these airlines comprise more than 98 percent of all international scheduled air traffic.

International air transport is one of the most dynamic and fastest-changing industries in the world. IATA aim is to be a responsive, forward-looking and universal trade association, operating at the highest professional standards.

Since these airlines face a rapidly changing world, they must cooperate in order to offer a seamless service of the highest possible standard to passengers and cargo shippers. Much of that cooperation is expressed through IATA, whose mission is to "represent, lead and serve the airline industry".

Read more on IATA`s website: www.iata.org