AIRPORTS ASSOCIATION REPORTS SHARP DECREASE IN U.S. CARGO TRAFFIC

AIRPORTS ASSOCIATION REPORTS SHARP DECREASE IN U.S. CARGO TRAFFIC    Cargo traffic volumes at the airports of Los Angeles, Chicago, Newark and San Francisco fell by more than 10 percent in February, the Geneva-based Airports Council International association reported.
   Newark saw its cargo volume drop by 19.7 percent, to 74,058 metric tons, when compared to February 2000. Chicago O’Hare airport suffered a 16.7-percent cargo volume decrease, to 100,119 tons. San Francisco’s cargo traffic was down by 14.1 percent, to 54,862 tons. Los Angeles was off by 10.7 percent, to 144,325 tons.
   Major airports that experienced a decrease in traffic of less than 10 percent are New York J.F.K. (down 9.4 percent), Memphis (down 8.3 percent), Atlanta (down 8.7 percent), and Oakland (down 5 percent).
   By contrast, the airport of Philadelphia increased its cargo traffic by 34.2 percent, to 61,441 metric tons, and Miami gained 8.9 percent in additional traffic, handling 139,424 tons.
   Overall, North American airports handled 2.15 million metric tons in February, down 7.5 percent from February last year.
   World airport traffic in February was 4.83 million tons, down by 2.6 percent, as volumes held up in Asia-Pacific.