Air traffic demand improving-IATA

       The airline industry is struggling to return to profit despite more signs of a revival in air travel in August,the International Air Transport Association said yesterday.
       Passenger demand fell by 1.1% last month on a 12-month comparison,marking an improvement in international air travel compared to the 2.9% fall recorded in July and a steeper drop in previous months, latest data from IATA showed.
       Average passenger loads on aircraft also improved by 1.2% to 80.9%, but fares remained about a one-fifth below levels recorded a year earlier and aircraft were being used less as routes were cut,the data showed.
       "Demand continues to improve, but profitability remains ever distant," said IATA director general Giovanni Bisignani.
       "Fares have stabilised, but at profitless levels. Meanwhile cost pressures are mounting from reduced aircraft utilisation and rising oil prices. The industry is not out of the woods yet," he said.
       Demand for air freight freight fell by 9.6% in August, also marking an improvement compared to the 11.3% drop recorded in July, IATA said.
       IATA groups 230 airlines that cover 93% of scheduled international air traffic,but it does not include many of the major budget airlines.