Airlines carried 11.3 percent less cargo and 2.9 percent fewer people in July than in the same month a year ago, a global industry body said on Thursday.

But the year-on-year declines were less than in June, and compared with the previous month both measures increased by more than 3 percent, the International Air Transport Association said in its latest monthly reading of cross-border traffic, a leading indicator for the health of world trade.

The data can be rather volatile but this does confirm earlier signs that a recovery in demand for air transport has begun, though there are good reasons for expecting the path of further recovery to be volatile and weaker than recoveries from previous recessions, it said.

(Reporting by Jonathan Lynn; Editing by Stephanie Nebehay)