Airfreight through Miami International Airport (MIA) increased two per cent to 898,995 tons in 2006, increased by flowers and fish with South America again accounting for the bulk of the throughput. This made MIA the biggest cargo airport in the US and the ninth largest in the world for overseas shipments, reported The Miami Herald.

But Miami's cargo market share in imports has fallen over the last three years while Houston and Atlanta airport volumes increased, noted Charles Jainarain, president of Greenheart Economics, an Orlando consulting firm.

"It's a tiny gradual shift, a small percentage shift in trade,'' he said. ``Yet it is insidious to the extent that trade is going up each year in what seems to be a healthy percentage, and five years later you see other airports doing better."

To boost trade, MIA is hoping to get a greater share of the burgeoning Asian market. In 2006, MIA's total Asian trade rose to US$1.5 billion, or 20,268 tons, from $1.3 billion, or 19,017 tons, in 2005. A big increase is expected this year after Korean Air Cargo launched new service to MIA last August.