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International air traffic on the up but industry still facing losses.

AIRLINE INDUSTRY INFORMATION-(C)1997-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has reported that air traffic increased again in October 2004, rising by 10.8% over the same month in 2003.

Despite the rise in traffic however the IATA, which

represents more than 200 airlines, said that the industry as a whole was still facing a total loss of USD4bn in 2004 because of high fuel costs, low fares and economic problems.

The IATA has now called on governments to give airlines more freedom to act like normal businesses, to help improve the industry's chance of returning to profit.

Growth in international air traffic for the first ten months of 2004 was up by 16.9% after the October results, with a drop in the price of the dollar attracting more travellers to the US, reports AFX.

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