Cargo traffic for U.S. airlines, pushed by a surge in trans-Atlantic trade, grew 3.5 percent in November, the sharpest expansion in more than a year, the Air Transport Association said Monday.

The November report bolstered suggestions from air cargo officials that they saw a spike upward in shipping late in the 2007 fourth quarter peak season as shippers rushed goods to market after postponing shipping earlier in the year.

Atlantic traffic jumped 8.1 percent in November, the best showing this year in that market, and trans-Atlantic business was up 5.7 percent in the first 11 months of the year. Industry observers say business has been strong over the Atlantic as the declining value of the dollar has pushed U.S, exports to Europe.

International air cargo traffic overall was up 5.2 percent in November. The 3.5 percent gain in the month over the same month the year before was the strongest increase since the airlines' cargo traffic, measured in cargo ton miles, grew 3.8 percent in September 2006.

Domestic cargo business remained weak, growing 1.6 percent over November 2006, although the gain within the United States was the carriers' strongest since July.