Global premium air travel records rise in October

Global premium air travel, an indicator of revenue earnings of airlines, has recorded a rise in October with the number of passengers up 5.6 per cent compared to a year ago.
The business traffic level was also an improvement compared to September, when it rose 4.3 per cent on a year-on -year basis, the International Air Travel Association (IATA) said in a latest study.
"The downward pressure on demand for premium air travel has eased over recent months, consistent with positive developments in the demand environment," it said.
The study said that global business confidence was "the strongest" in October since the first quarter of 2011, with Europe and the US both showing signs of economic improvement.

Despite the moderation in volumes in September and October, premium passenger numbers went up 4.5 per cent so far this year, it said.
Premium travel within Far East gained strongly by growing up 9.6 per cent. It was driven by China's economy and accelerating regional trade, the study said.
In its future projections, the IATA said the near-term outlook for air travel markets "continues to improve, alongside steady improvements in the business environment.
"Indicators of business confidence continue to rise, and the outlook for world trade growth is also improving with another rise in global export orders in November.