Here are the figures: September air cargo was 21.3 millionpounds, down from a record of 36.8 million pounds and a 49%increase over September 1999. Air cargo was 247.3 million poundsfrom January through September, off from 258 million in pounds forthe first nine months of 1999.

Even before September, the high-tech slowdown was reflected inAustin's air cargo figures, which, until this year, had marchedsteadily upward in the previous few years. "We'd been seeing asteady decline anyway because of the high-tech market itself," saysJackie Mayo of the aviation department.

Ray Brimble, whose Lynxs Inc. runs some of Austin's air cargofacilities and other US airports, said the Austin figures arewithin the range of figures he's seen around the country. "It'spretty ugly out here right now," he tells GlobeSt.com, speakingfrom the Sacramento International Airport.