ANCHORAGE's Ted Stevens International Airport has enjoyed an overall increase in cargo volume since the 2008 global financial crisis, but airport revenue for fiscal year 2011 was down 10 per cent year on year.

    The Anchorage Economic Development Corporation (AEDC) said the airport handled 5.73 billion pounds of freight in fiscal year 2011, representing a recovery in cargo volume, which represents 70 per cent of airport revenue.Despite this, even a small downturn in certain economies in the rest of the world will be felt on the tarmac in Anchorage, said the AEDC.

    For the past 10 years, the airport has ranked among the world's top six largest cargo hubs when it comes to the amount of goods passing through it but to day is in fifth place, reports CBS News.

    "Every Asian cargo carrier that flies the route from Asia to North America comes through Anchorage," said airport business manager Trudy Wassel.

    While volumes have increased since 2008, it's not always a steady growth. "It's not because the planes are going somewhere else: they are coming, there are just fewer of them right now. It depends on how the economy is in the Lower 48, if people are buying stuff, the stuff will come through here," she said.

    "The planes have lot of cargo. They put on less fuel. They come here and gas up and then they go down to the Lower 48 and make their deliveries," Ms Wassel said.

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