While passenger service at Casper/Natrona County International Airport is highly visible, a faster growing facet of air activity flies largely under the radar.

Airport manager Glenn Januska said air cargo increased 9.5 percent between 2006 and 2007. This followed year-over increases of 5.1 percent and 3.5 percent.

"That pace is growing faster than air passenger traffic," he said.

To help map the future, the Madison, Wisc.-based firm Mead & Hunt has been hired to examine existing air cargo operations, to identify air cargo opportunities, to provide forecasts and to determine what facilities might be required to handle increased activity.

The work will be performed along with a subcontractor, Wilbur Smith Associates.

Total cost of the study is $164,500, or which $150,000 will be paid by the Federal Aviation Administration, $4,737 by the state and $9,763 by the airport. It is expected to be completed in about 10 months.

Januska said recent increases are not just a function of Casper cargo, but are also related to Federal Express' feeder service. Aircraft fly cargo to and from smaller cities in the region, with Casper acting as a distribution hub.

The foreign trade zone at the airport, along with the Bishop Industrial Rail Park transloading facility, also could contribute to an increase in air cargo traffic.

"I really think between the cargo operations, the transloading operations, the amount of acreage we have here, the Customs and the foreign trade zone, there could be a lot of exciting things happen," Januska said.

Over time, he added, "we really can be a multi-modal transportation facility, even more than what we are right now."

Business Editor Tom Mast can be reached at tom.mast@trib.com, or call 307-266-0574.