The Association of European Airlines reported a 1.1 percent decrease in September passenger traffic among its member airlines

, following 1.6 percent growth in August. "While negative monthly figures are not unprecedented, previous decreases have been triggered by external shocks such as 9/11, SARS and the Gulf Wars," according to AEA. "This was the first traffic loss since the early 1980s which was attributable to essentially economic factors. ... With the major European economies still in transition to a recessionary state [figures] cannot be expected to recover in the immediate future.