Global air passenger traffic declined 2.9 percent in September from the same month a year ago, the first such drop since the 2003 SARS scare, according to a monthly report from IATA.

Delta Air Lines Inc. is ramping up its Caribbean and Latin American service to popular winter getaway destinations. The Atlanta-based carrier said recently it is adding nine new flights and boosting its schedules to six destinations starting in mid to late December.

For the holiday season, Funjet Vacations is offering airfares starting at $199, and $200 off travel to Mexico when the appropriate travel promotion code is entered at the time of booking.

Caribbean Airlines will add another aircraft to its fleet on Nov. 15, bringing its aircraft total to eight Boeing 737-800s and five Dash-8 300s.

Jamaica will become the first Caribbean destination to have a direct nonstop flight from Canada’s western-most province. As of December 19, two flights will depart weekly from Vancouver, British Columbia, nonstop to Montego Bay, St. James, operated by Air Canada Vacations and Air Transat/Sunquest.

British Airways announced that it will move its Atlanta originating flights to London Heathrow Airport from London Gatwick Airport starting March 29, 2009. The move to Heathrow, made possible through the Open Skies agreement signed last March between the USA and European Union, will provide Atlanta passengers the experience of arriving, departing or connecting through Heathrow’s Terminal 5, the newest and most technologically advanced airline terminal in Europe.