'Record' air journeys expected in August

New figures have revealed a 6.3 per cent rise in flight demand over the first half of the year, signalling a boom in air travel for August.

According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), a "record" number of travellers look set to take to the skies next month.

Its latest statistics show that demand for flights rose significantly in regions such as the Middle East and Africa during the first six months of the year, followed by Asia, North America and Europe.

IATA director-general and chief executive Giovanni Bisignani added that security will be an important issue during the upcoming busy travel period.

"Harmonised security measures across borders are more critical than ever. The US-EU agreement on the sharing of passenger data, signed this month, was a step in the right direction," he commented.

British Airways recently revealed that it saw a 20 per cent rise in bookings for long-haul flights last week, fuelled by the recent flooding and predictions of more bad weather to come.

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