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."