As Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and the Metro Atlanta Chamber co-hosted their annual Air Cargo Appreciation Day and Expo today, the world’s busiest airport also celebrated a solid increase in its first-quarter cargo traffic.

As of March 31, the year-to-date numbers both for domestic and international freight have increased dramatically compared to the same period in 2014. With 141,524 metric tons of freight moved through the Airport during the first three months of 2015, compared to 129,180 tons during the same period in 2014, Hartsfield-Jackson’s total cargo volume saw an increase of 9.56 percent.

“This latest airport traffic report shows that our efforts to ensure that the Airport remains the economic engine for the metro Atlanta region are yielding positive results,” said Aviation General Manager Miguel Southwell. “Increasing cargo traffic is our top strategic priority as we look to grow jobs and increase revenue.”

Significantly, the year-to-year growth spurt for international cargo, which accounts for about 61 percent of the total volume, was twice as large as that of domestic cargo – 11.99 and 5.92 percent, respectively. 

During the awards ceremony, Southwest was recognized as Belly Cargo Airline of the Year due to its 77.3 percent jump in freight tonnage for 2014 from 2013. Cathay Pacific was awarded the All-Cargo Airline of the Year and had a 21 percent increase for the same time period.

In addition to being the world’s busiest and most efficient airport, Hartsfield-Jackson is among the nation’s top 10 cargo airports, and is focused on expanding its reach in this important sector.  

“We are excited to partner with Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and the Atlanta Air Cargo Association on the inaugural ATL Cargo Awards,” said Brian P. McGowan, executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Metro Atlanta Chamber. “The airport is one of our region’s top assets for recruiting and attracting talent and companies to the region. We commend the freight and air cargo carriers for their contributions to the economy and growing Atlanta’s reputation as a global logistics hub.”

This year’s winners at the annual awards ceremony were: 

• Trucking Company of the Year: J&P Hall Express 

• Freight Forwarder of the Year: Panalpina

• Belly Cargo Airline of the Year: Southwest (77.3-percent increase since 2013) 

• All-Cargo Airline of the Year: Cathay Pacific (21-percent increase since 2013)

• Cargo Employee of the Year: Katlyn Benik, Cathay Pacific

New cargo carriers Emirates SkyCargo and Virgin Atlantic Cargo were also recognized during today’s awards luncheon.