European airport operators said Thursday that they are seeing a "slow and gradual" recovery in air travel in October after an unprecedented fall in passenger numbers. The Airports Council International Europe said that from January through September passenger traffic fell 7.7 percent and cargo slumped by 19.8 percent — wiping out gains in the number of

France's overseas minister is in Martinique to help the French Caribbean island revive its tourism industry, slammed by a monthlong labor strike earlier this year. Marie-Luce Penchard met Thursday with hotel and cruise officials to talk about how to attract more visitors. Hundreds of low-wage workers in numerous industries went on strike in February, slowing the island's

British Airways PLC and Spanish airline Iberia SA confirmed they are holding separate board meetings about a long-awaited merger, responding to feverish speculation that has sent the companies' shares soaring. BA, the third largest airline in Europe, said the meetings would consider a "potential transaction" and that no deal has yet been reached. It declined to

The Obama administration reached out Thursday to the nation's airlines and their unions for solutions on how to restore health to the ailing industry, which is losing billions of dollars, shedding jobs and blamed for using a business model critics say undermines safety. The response, at least from one airline chief executive, was that the government

New York City's Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is almost ready for the holidays. The 76-foot Norway spruce was hoisted into place Thursday morning near the famous skating rink in mid-Manhattan. The next step is to decorate it with 30,000 lights. The lighting ceremony will be Dec. 2. Crews cut down the 10-ton tree Wednesday at the Easton, Conn. home