Passenger traffic on BA flights fell in April as the Sars outbreak cut bookings on its Asia-Pacific routes by more than a quarter, according to the airline's latest figures.

BA said it flew 90,000 people to destinations in south-east Asia last month, a 27.3% decrease compared with the same period a year earlier.

But total bookings for the month were down by just 0.5% on the year thanks to a moderate increase in traffic on its European, US and UK routes.

BA said its stronger performance in Europe partly reflected an overhaul to its ticket booking and distribution process.

"I think a year ago you wouldn't have seen that, and that is a function of how we sell, how we market, and how we distribute," said BA's head of investor relations George Stinnes.

Mixed picture

The year-on-year comparison was also helped by this year's late Easter celebrations.

The company remained highly cautious about its prospects in the year ahead.

"Revenue and forward bookings continue to be impacted by global economic weakness, Sars, and the situation in Iraq. Forward visibility on revenue and traffic remains limited," the airline said in a statement.

Ominously, BA's premium traffic - lucrative business and first class bookings - was down by more than a fifth in April.

The global airline industry, still recovering from the impact of the 11 September attacks, has been hit hard again by the war in Iraq and the Sars outbreak.

Earlier this week, Dutch carrier KLM blamed the disease for a 6.8% fall in total passenger numbers last month.