SIMIC

THE big three US airlines saw their cargo revenues decline last year as rates and volumes came under pressure, according to London's Air Cargo News.

United Airlines - the largest of the three in terms of cargo volume - registered a 31.1 per cent year-on-year decline in cargo revenues in 2023 to US$1.5 billion.



At American Airlines there was a 34.1 per cent fall for the year to $812 million and at Delta Air Lines the decline was 31 per cent to $713 million.



The fall came as airfreight rates were under pressure last year due to flat demand and increasing capacity as networks were re-established following the Covid pandemic.



However, cargo revenue performance across all three airlines improved as the year progressed. In the fourth quarter, United saw its revenues decline by the lesser amount of 14.8 per cent, at American there was a 24.2 per cent fall and at Delta the Q4 decline was 24 per cent.