This is a marked improvement from the increase of nine percent recorded between February and the same month in 2009, although this is likely to be because March last year was the low point for international air travel during the recession.Giovanni Bisignani, the IATA’s director general and chief executive officer, said although the pace of the upturn is strong, the effects of the recession are yet to come to an end.

The industry has lost two years of growth, and passenger and freight markets are still one percent below early 2008 highs,he explained.Nonetheless, the pace of improvement, based on an improving global economic situation, is much faster than anybody would have expected even six months ago.Last week, the IATA said that the disruption caused by the volcanic ash over much of northern Europe has cost airlines $1.7 billion £1.12 billion.