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Last year was the worst in the history of aviation, IATA has admitted.

The airline industry ended 2009 with the largest ever post-war decline in scheduled air traffic.
 Director general Giovanni Bisignani said: “In terms of demand, 2009 goes into the history books as the worst year the industry has ever seen.
 “We have permanently lost 2.5 years of growth in passenger markets.”
 Airline face “enormous challenges” in 2010, he added.
 “The worst is behind us, but it is not time to celebrate,” said Bisignani. “Adjusting to 2.5-2.5 yeasr of lost growth means that airlines face another Spartan year focused on matching capacity carefully to demand and controlling costs.”
 And he warned: “We face a renewed challenge on security as a result of the events of December 25, 2009.
 “Governments and industry are aligned in the priority that we place on security. But the cost of security is also an issue.
 “Globally, airlines spend $5.9 billion a year on what are essentially measures concerned with national security. This is the responsibility of governments and they should be picking up the bill.”
 Francesca Ecsery, global sales director at Cheapflights, said: “In 2009, consumers were careful with their cash and wary of the hard-hit travel industry.
“While the economy may not be quite out of the woods yet, the travel industry is beginning to see signs of recovery which sits alongside a shift in travel patterns. Consumers are savvier than ever and searching for more affordable holidays.
“The Middle East, North Africa and Eastern Europe are particularly appealing, due to strong exchange rates and affordable ground costs, and these destinations are seeing a surge in popularity as a result.
“This year, we expect to see the recovery gain momentum.  In November we saw a flux of consumers searching for Christmas travel – one third more than the previous year – and we’re seeing a much stronger January, up 31 per cent from last year.
“The public is still travelling, and starting to travel more, but they’re simply travelling differently.  It need not be all doom and gloom – the industry should make a full recovery.”
by Phil Davies, TravelMole