The three major US airlines saw cargo revenues decline last year as volumes slid and lower fuel prices had an effect on takings.
The busiest of the airlines in cargo terms was United, which was the only one that managed to record an increase in cargo volumes compared with 2014 levels, as demand jumped by 5.1% to 2.6bn cargo ton miles (CTM).
However, even this increase wasn’t enough to stop the airline recording a decline in cargo revenues, which slipped by 0.1% year on year to $937m.
Delta appeared to have the most difficult year as revenues slipped by 13% compared with 2014 to $813m, while volumes were down by 7.1% to 2.2bn CTM.
American recorded a slightly higher decline in revenues of 13.1% in 2015 to $760m, but its volumes were down by the lower amount of 0.7% to 2.3bn CTM.
* 2013 comparison does not include US Airways
Although the airlines didn’t provide any cargo performance summaries in their results announcements, revenues are expected to have been affected by declines in the price of oil and there for rates, volume weakness and lower pricing caused by industry overcapacity.
But while the airlines came under pressure at a revenue level, lower fuel prices helped the airlines record healthy profit increases.
