Airline looking up again

BRITISH Airways' passenger traffic figures have improved. The group said that February traffic volumes - measured in the number of kilometres flown per paying customers - was down 2.5 per cent on a year earlier. That compares with a decline of 6.9 per cent in January and a slide of 24.7 per cent in the first complete month after the terrorist attacks in the US.

MERGER SEARCH: Financial services group Britannic is considering a merger in an effort to take advantage of changing market conditions. Falling equity markets, in which the Birmingham group holds large investments, led to post-tax losses of £263.9m for last year, compared with a profit of £32.6m in 2000.

SALES SLOW: High street sales growth slowed for the second month in a row in February, as shoppers eased off spending after Christmas, according to a CBI survey. Of the retailers surveyed, 51 per cent said volumes were up against the same time the previous year, while 18 per cent said they were down.

RED TAPE: Business leaders have launched a campaign against the "relentless build up" of red tape from the EU which they warned was damaging job creation. The CBI joined calls for an end to industrial relations legislation and said EU leaders should stop "dragging their feet" on measures to boost trade.

indoor batting: Top businessmen from Yorkshire will attend a behind-closed-doors meeting in Leeds on Tuesday to discuss ways in which they may be able to raise capital for Yorkshire County Cricket Club. Between 35 and 40 people have been invited by president Robin Smith and club chairman Keith Moss to the Leeds offices of legal advisor, DLA.

HAT-TRICK: PR and marketing consultancy NP, of Newcastle, has picked up national contracts worth a more than £150,000 a year - for the Brunswick Warehouse, Marler Haley and Big Word.