Cargo has turned out to be the difference maker for airlines navigating the pandemic, says The Wall Street Journal. Just look at Korean Air.

South Korea’s flag carrier has prospered since taking an initial sharp hit in the early days of the global health crisis, and that’s largely because it expanded its substantial cargo business.

Many airlines turned to cargo as a savior as travel virtually shut down in 2020, but Korean Air was starting from a strong position as one of the world’s largest cargo-carrying passenger airlines and the owner of a big fleet of freighters.

Korean Air counted 42% more freight traffic in the second quarter compared with spring 2019, and cargo revenue was up 44% year over year. Airfreight rates now are pulling back, but the carrier is building up passenger business at the same time.