Air cargo transported in and out of Spokane International Airport has increased through the first nine months of this year, according to data provided by the airport.

Airport data for the year through September, the most recent month available, shows total air cargo shipped through the airport increased to 110.7 million pounds of cargo, a 5.5% increase compared with cargo volume in the year-earlier period.

Further analysis of airport data shows inbound cargo increased by more than 4.2 million pounds, to 45.8 million pounds through the first nine months, a rise of 10% compared with the inbound cargo volume in the year-earlier period.

Outbound cargo also increased, but more modestly, in the same period. It rose by more than 1.6 million pounds, a 2.5% increase, according to airport data.

Todd Woodard, director of marketing and public affairs for the airport, says in an emailed statement that Amazon Air began operating in mid-October as a cargo carrier. Consequently, cargo volume data for the company wasn’t included on the September report.

Totals are for the other two carriers United Parcel Service and FedEx Corp.

Vince Dugan, owner of Trego-Dugan Aviation of Spokane, an air cargo logistics partner working with Amazon Air, says there are two flights scheduled daily for Amazon cargo on one Boeing 767 and one Boeing 737. Dugan declines to disclose volume cargo figures, but says he’s added 150 employees at the airport who work at the cargo warehouse since it opened.

A representative for FedEx couldn’t be immediately reached for comment.

Jim Mayer, director of media relations and network communications for UPS, says in an emailed statement that UPS operates three revenue departures per day, during nonpeak times, with two Boeing 757s and one Boeing 767 freighter to travel to its hubs in Louisville, Kentucky, and Ontario, Canada. 

Mayer says the three aircraft have a combined capacity to carry up to 31,000 packages. He declines to disclose the actual volume figure.