AEA sees passengers increase

The Association of European Airlines (AEA) has revealed that it has seen its first weekly increase in passenger numbers for the first time since March, following the war in Iraq and the SARS outbreak.

Yahoo reports that the association’s 31 member airlines reported a 1.1 per cent rise in total traffic between the 16th and 22nd June in comparison with the corresponding period the year before.

‘In recent weeks our bottom line has been driven by the negative effects of the Far East market,’ said the AEA’s Secretary General Ulrich Schulte-Strathaus.

‘Hopefully, from now on, it will be driven by the recovery in the North Atlantic and, eventually, Europe.’