Global Airport News

Some 33% of travel managers expect to see a rise in air travel for business this year, according to a recent survey by travel payment company Airplus International.

In 2009 only 21% of Europe's travel managers expected the number of business trips to rise.

Travel managers are less optimistic about hotel stays, with 25% anticipating a rise in hotel stays.

Some 20% believe train travel will increase, and only 14% think car rental will rise.

The Airplus Business Travel Index also confirmed a rise in business related flights in the first half of 2010, particularly on intercontinental routes.

While domestic flights by business travellers saw a fall of 6%, compared to the first six months of 2009, flights to European destinations rose by 5%, with intercontinental flights rising by 24%.

The percentage of business travellers flying in business class also saw a small rise, from 8% in January to 10% in June.

Companies in Europe spent 7% more on flights between January and June this year, compared to the same period last year.

The figures are based on analysis of more than 100 million business-travel bookings oer year made by 33,000 companies worldwide.