Air Cargo Shipments Decline in May

ir cargo shipments fell 3.8% in May compared with a year earlier, with both domestic and international shipments dropping, the Air Transport Association reported Monday.

Air cargo shipments always have a trucking component, since air carriers use trucks for local and regional ground transportation.

Domestic shipments fell 5.6%, while international air cargo fell 2%, the trade group said in its monthly report.

Year-to-date overall air cargo shipments were up 1% from last year through May, the group said. International shipments rose 3.9% while domestic dropped 1.9%.

Overall April cargo shipments fell to 1.993 billion revenue ton-miles from last April. A revenue ton-mile is the revenue generated by carrying one ton of freight one mile.

International freight and express shipments across the Pacific fell 1.1% and for the Atlantic decreased 1.6% in May, the group said. Latin American freight and express shipments fell 6.6%.