Regions such as Latin America, the Middle East and China were singled out by the International Air Transport Association (Iata) for their robust expansion at a time when developed markets had seen relatively little growth.
Iata's director general, Tony Tyler said in a statement: "Strong demand for air travel is consistent with improving business conditions. Performance, however, has been uneven. Mature markets are seeing relatively little growth, while emerging markets continue to show a robust expansion."
Mr Tyler also called on governments to avoid "placing roadblocks to recovery", highlighting that US budget cuts caused by the fiscal cliff and other economic wrangles could have imposed flight delays and cancellations on travellers, causing "real damage to the economy".
“Aviation is far too important to be treated as a bargaining chip in political disputes in the first instance. Let's hope that lesson is well learned,” he added.
