Air France-KLM, Europe's largest airline group by revenue, reported higher passenger traffic and better unit revenues in July but declines in cargo activity underlined unease about the economic recovery.
The Franco-Dutch group said passenger traffic rose 6.9 percent in July, outstripping a capacity increase of 5.4 percent. The passenger load factor rose by 1.2 percentage points to 87.3 percent.
Unit revenues excluding currency effects improved compared to the same month last year, supported by premium traffic, the airline said in a statement.
Planes flying to or from the Americas and Asia were on average more than 90 percent full, with traffic up 9.6 percent and 8.1 percent respectively.
The airline said its home European network remained "dynamic" in July despite the region's debt crisis with traffic up 7.2 percent for capacity up by 3.8 percent.
Cargo traffic fell 2.7 percent in July, still hit by political unrest in Africa and the Middle East and overcapacity on Asia departures, Air France-KLM said in a statement.
The cargo load factor fell 2.1 percent to 64 percent and unit revenues in that of the business declined.
"The context was comparable to previous months, with unrest in Africa and the Middle East and a situation of overcapacity on Asia departures," the airline said.
International airlines association IATA said last week the trend for passenger travel remained upwards, but at a slower pace than the bounce seen immediately after the recession when year-on-year growth rates stood close to 10 percent.
"The slowdown reflects slower economic growth and increased costs resulting from higher jet fuel prices, and increased taxation in some countries," IATA said.
Freight volumes, widely regarded as a barometer of economic activity, have not grown since July or August 2010, IATA said.