A good indicator that things are picking up is that Virgin Atlantic is recruiting again. Interviews have already been held and the first courses are scheduled for next month. Although news not of much interest to the low hours guys, this will such up pilots from lower down the food chain and make low hours jobs available.
And if George the cowboy does get his way and invades I-raq, things will slow down. The scardey Americans won't fly and fuel will go up. But don't forget that the real agenda for the war is for George W to award all his Texan oil mates the contracts for Iraqi oil once the free world has won. This will lower the oil price significantly, more people will fly and things will improve rapidly - providing Moslems don't start blowing up airliners in revenge!