Korean Air’s cargo revenue jumped 22 percent in the fourth quarter of 2009 as demand and yields increased dramatically at the end of the year, the carrier said in its annual report.

The world’s largest air freight carrier, said traffic grew 15.2 per cent in the last three months of the year over the same period a year earlier, including a 25.2 per cent jump in December. The airline said its cargo yield rose 13.4 per cent to its highest level of the year.

Korean Air’s strong turnaround came after traffic fell 13 per cent in the first nine months of the year, and follows reports from other carriers and airports of a strong rebound in air freight business, led by exports out of Asia.

Korean’s fourth quarter freight traffic was 13.3 per cent better than the carrier reported in the third quarter, and its cargo yield soared 35 per cent from the third quarter to the fourth.

Cargo revenue of $834 million in the last three months of the year was also 42 per cent better than in the third quarter.