It’s been a bright start to 2010 for the international airline industry. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) reported a 6% increase in passenger demand in January on the same period last year.

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) echoed the upbeat mood: it predicted moderate growth for the travel industry in 2011, with a 3% uptick in GDP. In the longer term, the WTTC report indicated a 4% annual increase up to 2020, with emerging markets such as China leading the way with 95 million projected travellers by then.

Virgin America announced plans for flights to start between Toronto, ON, and Los Angeles, CA, by June this year, while Air Canada will significantly increase its service between Toronto and Jamaica. Air China plans three more non-stop flights between Vancouver, BC, and Beijing, plus WestJet aims to increase capacity 9-10% in 2010 despite a 45% profit drop to $98 million in 2009.

These are just some of the air-carrier highlights from around the world. To follow the latest developments, the Research department of the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) pulls together a regular international airline industry scan. We sift through the headlines—you get a quick and easy overview of the top stories.

Here’s what’s making news in the aviation world right now.