The U.S. military ordered yogurt and cottage cheese flown to forces in Japan and South Korea last month as a labor dispute began jamming up West Coast ports.
Honda Motor Co. and Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. resorted to airlifting parts to U.S. plants to bypass the clogged container terminals. Planes carried potatoes in the other direction so McDonald's Corp. could end rationing of french fries in Japan.
The shift of seaborne cargo to jets shows how Asian airlines, including ANA Holdings Inc. and Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd., are benefiting from gridlock at ports in California and Washington state. Loading and unloading of vessels at ports from San Diego to Bellingham, Washington, were suspended from Friday through Monday morning, according to the Pacific Maritime Association.