After chaos in April when Eyjafjallajökull’s spewed volcanic ash all over northern Europe, air traffic increased in May.

• Airlines remain focused on recovering from 2009.
• The airline industry lost about $2 billion when passenger planes were grounded because of the eruption.
• Because of recent economic turmoil, Europe has shown weak airline industry growth.

Facts and Figures

• International passenger air traffic increased +12% in May.
• Airlines expect a $2.5 billion profit in 2010 – a huge turnaround from the $9.9 billion loss in 2009.
• Air freight increased +34% in May, up from 26%.

Best Quote

“This is good news, but it is only a 0.5% margin. We are still a long way from sustainable profitability.” – Giovanni Bisignani, Director General of the International Transport Association

Tags: airline industry, airlines, iata, international