The Des Moines International Airport reported that domestic ticket sales were up for the first six months of this year, despite a national decline.

According to the Airlines Reporting Corp., U.S. ticket sales decreased 4.6 percent from the same period last year, while the Des Moines airport had a 1.5 percent increase, or 7,000 more emplanements than last year. The airport reported 491,501 enplanements for the first half of 2007, compared with 484,397 last year.

Cargo handling was also up 5 percent from 2006.

“We are doing about as well as any small commercial airport in the nation,” said aviation director Craig Smith. “The commercial air industry is so volatile right now. We don’t know what tomorrow may bring, but so far our community is doing well.”