World airline passenger traffic fell 3.1 per cent in 2009, the biggest drop in aviation industry history, fuelled by the global financial downturn. Preliminary figures for airline travel this year showed that international traffic declined by about 3.9 per cent and domestic traffic by 1.8 per cent, despite sharp growth in some regions. Total passenger traffic – both domestic and international – fell in all regions except the Middle East, which posted 10 per cent growth. The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) said all other regions recorded negative growth, with Africa hardest hit at minus 9.6 per cent overall. The ICAO predicted a moderate recovery of 3.3 per cent growth for the airline industry next year, in line with improving economic conditions around the world. For 2011, it forecast momentum to build to return to the traditional 5.5 per cent yearly growth rate in airline passenger traffic.