United Airlines cargo revenue grows 3.8% in the second quarter

United Airlines reported that its cargo revenue rose 3.8 per cent year-over-year to 430 million dollars for the second quarter ended June 30, 2025. The airline transported 327 million pounds of cargo during the period, which included about 9.8 million pounds of medical shipments and more than 440,000 pounds of military shipments.

The airline highlighted its diverse revenue streams, including cargo, as it posted a second-quarter profit ahead of Wall Street expectations and raised its full-year earnings guidance.

For the first half of 2025, United’s cargo revenue reached 859 million dollars, up 6.7 per cent compared to the same period last year. The company’s total operating revenue for the second quarter was 15.2 billion dollars, a 1.7 per cent increase from the previous year, driven mainly by passenger revenue growth of 1.1 per cent to 13.8 billion dollars.

United’s cargo revenue tonne miles were 885 million for the quarter, down slightly by 0.6 per cent compared to the same period last year. For the first six months of 2025, cargo revenue tonne miles rose 1.8 per cent to 1.77 billion.

"Our second-quarter performance was more proof that the United Next strategy is working. I am extremely proud of the team for executing a strong operation and navigating through a volatile macroeconomic period while still growing earnings and pre-tax margin for the first half of the year," said United CEO Scott Kirby. "Importantly, United saw a positive shift in demand beginning in early July and, like 2024, anticipates another inflection in industry supply in mid-August. The world is less uncertain today than it was during the first six months of 2025, and that gives us confidence about a strong finish to the year."