Global airlines maintained their profit forecast for 2012 on Monday but the industry was braced for Europe's debt crisis to worsen and wipe out the benefit of cheaper oil. IATA left this year's global airline profit forecast unchanged at $3 billion, or 0.5 percent of industry revenues.

Silver Airways recently accepted delivery of two more Saab 340Bplus planes, bringing the carrier fleet of Saabs to six. The airline (formerly Gulfstream International Airlines) plans to integrate 12 new Saab 340Bplus aircraft into its fleet by September. 

Virgin Atlantic has made its inaugural flight on the new London to Vancouver service. Flights will initially operate four times a week from London Heathrow to Vancouver throughout the summer up until October 27th 2012. The airline anticipates up to 40,000 passengers will travel in the first season.

April airline passenger numbers belied the gloomy world economic outlook, according to the latest International Air Transport Association (IATA) global air traffic results. Passenger demand rose 6.1 percent.