Montreal, Canada: Global air traffic grew 11pc year-on-year in April, according to data released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) on Thursday (May 30).

This marked the 36th straight month of hike, IATA Director General Willie Walsh said: "As we enter the peak northern summer travel season, there is every reason to feel optimistic for a strong summer with airlines offering a wide range of travel options."

Total capacity, measured in available seat kilometers, increased 9.6pc from a year earlier while April's load factor rose by 1 percentage point to 82.4pc.

International traffic jumped 15.8pc at an annualized pace in April, with all regions showing strong growth.

Asia-Pacific airlines continue to lead the way, with a 32.1pc annual increase in demand with strong traffic flows from the Middle East and Africa to Asia.

European carriers posted a 10.1pc hike in demand, meaning international routes from Europe have surpassed pre-COVID levels to all regions except Africa.

Domestic traffic rose 4pc during the same period while the capacity on domestic route was up 2pc.

Separate IATA data on Wednesday (May 29)showed that global demand for air cargo, measured in cargo ton-kilometers, gained 11pc compared to last April, marking a fifth consecutive month of double-digit year-on-year growth.

-B