AIRLINES

$2-Billion Airline Loss Predicted: The world’s airlines stand to lose $2 billion on scheduled international flights this year, a performance that paradoxically could spell recovery for the industry, according to an international airline group. The International Air Transport Assn. said the ultimate outcome will depend on how the industry fares during the summer travel season. A $2-billion loss, while considerable, would represent a turnaround for airlines, which suffered bigger annual losses since mid-1990 when an international recession and the Persian Gulf crisis erupted side by side. According to IATA, which represents more than 200 airlines, the Gulf War and the recession produced losses of $6.7 billion over two years, $4 billion of it last year alone.