Worldwide premium air traffic recovering, but still 15% below pre-recession levels

Premium travel, the lifeblood of full service airline business models, staged a strong recovery in the first quarter of 2010, although the number of passengers travelling in First and Business classes are still some 15% below their pre-recession levels, according to IATA. Premium demand rose 10.8% year-on-year in Mar-2010, capping off a good first quarter, but growth has not been evenly distributed and the Apr-2010 European airspace closures represented a set-back in the recovery process.