Cargo traffic on U.S. airlines increased 6 percent in March to 2.357 billion ton miles. The increase in traffic was nearly three times as rapid as the 2.1 percent growth in February. Growth for the first quarter was 3.2 percent to 6.255 billion ton miles, said the Air Transport Association on Monday.

Both domestic and international traffic took off in March. Domestic cargo went from a .5 percent decline in both January and February to a 2.1 percent increase in March over the year ago figure. Total domestic cargo traffic was more than 1.109 billion ton miles. International cargo grew 2.8 percent in January, 4.6 percent in February and a whopping 9.7 percent in March to more than 1.247 billion ton miles.