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BYLINE: BY IAN PUTZGER

Delta Cargo is building a $1.4 million perishables facility at its hub at Atlanta's Hartsfield Jackson International Airport Delta. The development reflects the airline's renewed focus on cargo after years of neglect and aims to help the carrier shore up stable, high-yielding business.

The new facility, scheduled to open by the end of the year, is not only intended to give Delta a bigger slice of the fruit and vegetable traffic but also pharmaceuticals, said Neel Shah, vice president of cargo. "To cope with the existing market situation, carriers have to get into products that are recession-proof, like pharmaceuticals and high-end fashion," he said.

While those types of cargo have held steady, other perishables have suffered. Fuel costs have had a severe impact on domestic air transportation of seafood, according to an American Airlines Cargo spokeswoman. West Coast restaurants have changed their menus as the cost of flying lobster and other seafood from the Northeast has …