WASHINGTON, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- The Pentagon's big boost to U.S. commercial airlines in 2003 is likely to be repeated in 2004, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday.

In 2003 the Pentagon paid commercial airlines and air-cargo carriers about $2.4 billion to haul troops and equipment to Iraq and Afghanistan in fiscal 2003.

Between January and April of next year, the Pentagon plans to replace virtually all of the 125,000 U.S. troops currently serving in Iraq on one-year rotations. Current plans call for about 100,000 fresh troops, coming primarily from bases in the U.S. and Germany, to replace them.

Although some of those troops will fly on military aircraft, a large percentage of them will be sent over on commercial carriers that will fly into airports primarily in Kuwait.

That virtually ensures that the profitability of airlines getting Pentagon business will be substantially strengthened, the newspaper said.