U.S. AIR FREIGHT GROWS 5% IN FEBRUARY

U.S. AIR FREIGHT GROWS 5% IN FEBRUARY    Air cargo volumes for U.S. carriers grew 5.3 percent to 1.6 billion revenue ton miles in February from a year earlier, according to preliminary monthly figures released Thursday by the Air Transport Association.
   Airlines and all-freight carriers also experienced an 8-percent gain in mail revenue ton miles over February 2002 levels, with total cargo volume up 4.4 percent to 1.7 billion ton miles. A ton mile is one ton of freight transported one mile.
   Freight moved by air internationally was up 8.3 percent, to 8.3 billion ton miles, and total international volume registered an 8.5-percent increase on the strength of an 11.3-percent jump in mail volume.
   Business was not as good on the domestic side. Freight and express business grew 2.3 percent to 8.1 million ton miles. But a 16-percent plunge in mail volume from 76.5 million ton miles to 64 million ton miles left total cargo volume for the month at 8.7 million ton miles, a 0.6 percent increase.