The number of international airline passengers flying in premium classes in January rose 6.1 percent year over year,

according to the International Air Transport Association. The growth rate bests the 4.2 percent year-over-year rise in international premium passengers for all of 2013, "reflecting improvements in the business environment" that accelerated in the second half of last year, according to IATA. "Improvements in the eurozone and U.S. economies have been the key driver to the pick-up in global business conditions," which has helped to "negate some of the slowdown in emerging market growth seen over recent months," IATA noted. Among markets analyzed, North Atlantic premium passengers rose 5 percent year over year in January.