Jul. 17--Memphis International Airport officials believe a yearlong slide in cargo and passengers may have hit bottom.

The airport in June recorded a 1.5 percent year-over-year increase in cargo weight, the first in 14 months, and a relatively small 3.4 percent decrease in passenger volume over June 2008.

Airport officials also said revenues from parking and ground transportation exceeded expectations for the first time since last year.

"That is a very good sign; hopefully, that means summer travel will be a little bit better than expected, which would give us a cushion," said Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority executive vice president Scott Brockman.

He added that passenger volume since Jan. 1 is down 9.2 percent, but he and other officials said the airport appears to be holding its own in the face of deep cuts by Delta and other airlines.

Brockman said cargo weight, the bulk of which passes through FedEx's super hub, is down 4.5 percent from Jan. 1 to June 30. It was down 4.8 percent in the airport's fiscal year that ended June 30.

The June increase in cargo was cause for optimism.

"This is the first upturn we've seen," said commissioner John Stokes. "That's a terrific sign."

On the passenger side, airport president and CEO Larry Cox said Memphis fared well compared with other former Northwest Airlines hubs, particularly Cincinnati, where flights are down about 35 percent, Cox said.

Memphis' average daily flights were down 5.5 percent in June. Brockman said the airport lost 16 flights, including 10 Delta-Northwest flights.

Officials said the numbers showed that Memphis has not lost as much ground as some observers predicted when the Delta-Northwest merger was pending last year.

Cox said because of the airport's low costs and high efficiency, "When the economy turns around, I think we're going to see more activity and more destinations going forward."

The Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics reported Thursday that U.S. airlines carried 5.6 percent fewer passengers in April compared with a year earlier., the 14th consecutive monthly year-over-year decline in passengers, the bureau said.

-- Wayne Risher: 529-2874

Airport traffic

Cargo weight: Increased 1.5 percent in June, the first increase since April 2008

Passenger volume: Down 3.4 percent, compared with 11 percent decline in May

Flights: Down 5.5 percent, or 16 flights, from the June 2008 average of 291 per day

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