HONG KONG, Oct. 5 (Reuters) – Hong Kong's leading air carrier Cathay Pacific Airways on Monday said it posted last week its best weekly passenger load factor for 2009, but remained uncertain whether the improvement indicated a structural recovery.

''We had the best week so far this year,'' Cathay Pacific Chief Executive Officer Tony Tyler told a media briefing ahead of the opening on Tuesday of a two-day international aviation environment exhibition.

''But what we are seeing here is the seasonal strength in the market. We managed to fill more flights but at a much reduced yield,'' he said, referring to improved traffic due to the start of China's week-long National Day holiday from Oct 1.

Tyler said it was too early to say whether the improvement indicated a structural recovery.

Cathay reversed its year-earlier loss to a net profit in the first half largely due to hedging gains.

Air traffic demand is recovering from the deep slump caused by the global recession but the industry remains well away from a return to profit, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said late last month.

IATA said earlier it expected a loss of $11 billion for the industry in 2009 and a $3.8 billion loss in 2010. .

Tyler, who is also the current chairman of IATA, said Cathay and other members of the aviation industry were aiming to cut carbon emissions from 2020, gradually reducing them to 50 percent of 2005 levels by 2050.

''Our targets are tough...aviation's emissions are expected to fall 7 percent in 2009 -- 5 percent as a result of the recession and 2 percent directly related to the strategy,'' IATA said in an official statement released at the briefing.

Paul Steele, IATA's director for aviation environment, said the biggest problem faced by the industry in achieving its carbon efficiency targets was the current lack of a government framework supporting them.

''Governments need to create a legal and fiscal framework to support pricing strategies, and offer incentives for the development of the right technology,'' he said.