European air traffic bounces back

European airlines’ passenger traffic rose 16% in the week ended May 9, as demand on Far East routes rebounded from the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) a year earlier, an industry group said.

Traffic to Asia and Australia rose 56% from the year-earlier week, the Association of European Airlines said.

Traffic, or the number of passengers multiplied by the distance flown, was 14% higher on north Atlantic flights. European travel rose 6.2%.