June 1 (Bloomberg) -- European airline traffic rose 3.9 percent April, led by higher demand for flights to the Far East and Australasia.

Traffic is measured as the number of travelers multiplied by the distance flown. The passenger count rose 2.3 percent in April, according to figures released today by the Brussels-based Association of European Airlines.

Traffic on flights between Europe and Asia surged 13 percent, while traffic within Europe gained 1.7 percent. Routes across the North Atlantic slipped 0.4 percent.

``The figures were generally down on recent months, although March and April figures are often distorted by the moveable Easter period,'' the group said in a statement on its Web site.

Easter fell in March this year, compared with April in 2004. Total scheduled traffic is up 5.4 percent, for the year so far.

To contact the reporter on this story: Rebecca Barr in London at rbarr1@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: June 1, 2005 07:33 EDT