Forwarder Pilot Air Freight said its first-quarter revenue rose 11.11 percent to $74.4 million, as domestic shipment growth outpaced its international business.

A year earlier, the Lima, Pa., company had reported a 4.5 revenue gain overall for the 2005 first quarter, reflecting slower growth domestically while the smaller international segment grew 15.6 percent.

Privately held Pilot Air does not report its full financial results, such as net income, but releases selected information.

For the latest quarter, Pilot Air said international revenue of $13.6 million was up 7.44 percent over the 2005 period, showing that the bigger gains came from domestic service as the company targeted certain lines of business.

Over the past year, it ramped up a Special Services unit for high-value, business-to-consumer shipments, which brought in nearly $30 million during 2005 - its first year - and picked up speed as the year continued.

For all of 2005, the company reported total revenues growing 6.5 percent to $301.6 million, topping $300 million for the first time but with growth slowed from double-digit gains of previous years.

Early this year, Pilot Air put Executive Vice President Frank Perri in charge of a national vertical markets push, to target freight sales at first in the health sciences, garment, entertainment and publishing industries.

Richard Phillips, company chairman, president and CEO, credited the new Special Services program helping boost its the latest quarterly performance, along with greater use of customized logistics programs and a service that allows customers to place one order to cover shipments to and from multiple cities.

JOHN D. BOYD