A growing airline industry crisis: weaker demand, surging costs

The global airline industry is entering another potentially dark chapter, as persistently high jet fuel prices bloat cost lines just as top line revenues suffer from events in the Middle East, Japan and elsewhere. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) today announced scheduled international passenger and cargo traffic for Feb-2011 increased 6.0% and 2.3%, respectively - down significantly from the revised 8.4% and 8.7% expansion recorded in Jan-2011.