The number of airline passengers flying in premium cabins
worldwide in September increased 12 percent year over year, the tenth
consecutive month of such growth, according to the International Air Transport
Association.
"The September premium outcome is still some 11 percent
below the figure for September 2007 and 4 percent lower than the total for
September 2008," IATA reported. "However, on the basis of these
latest figures, it would appear that earlier concerns over a stalling of
recovery of premium traffic might have been misplaced. The latest trade data
and output from the business confidence surveys suggest continuing underlying
momentum for premium traffic."
The routes with the strongest premium traffic growth again
were those to, from and within Asia. In the North Atlantic market, premium
traffic grew 7 percent in September while economy traffic increased 5 percent.