A Beginner’s Guide to Air Freight

How does air freight work?
anything! Literally anything can be delivered as air freight. Everything from lightweight items like letters to military equipment can be airlifted. The types of air carriers vary according to the services they offer. In terms of classification, air freight can be divided into three categories.
via passenger airline
Delivered on a cargo-only aircraft
Delivery Delivered on a super cargo plane with heavy equipment.
By commercial aircraft:
Commercial airlines earn a lot of revenue by providing air freight. The package to be airlifted is placed in the belly of a commercial aircraft along with other cargo.

capacity:
The belly is the storage area under the passenger compartment. The largest of them can transport around 150 cubic meters of product, and the combined-mode aircraft can transport around 283 cubic meters of packages. Items to be transported are placed in the hold, and if items are left behind, they are placed in the remaining space.
Cargo plane:
Cargo planes carry more stuff than commercial planes. Large package integrators like FedEx, UPS, DHL, etc. have different types of freighters.
capacity:
The Boeing 747 is one of the largest aircraft when used as a freighter, with a cargo capacity of 736 cubic meters. The plane can also support about 30 pallets of cargo. To transport animals such as horses, air stabilizers, special containers on the cargo deck attached to pallets, can be installed. For loading and unloading large or special-shaped products, some aircraft can also open the nose.
Electric drum:
Due to lack of space, the cargo floor of the cargo plane is equipped with electric rollers, and forklifts cannot drive into the plane. After the pallets are pushed into the plane, motorized rollers help them move in the front or rear of the cargo hold.
Super Transporter:
As the name suggests, these carriers can transport oversized or overweight shipments. Cargo can include trucks, helicopters, and even airplanes. Yes, you read that right. Today, aircraft, including military aircraft, are also transported by cargo planes. The super transporter is specially designed for transporting huge things.
Full length capacity:
The plane has a huge cargo deck area above the cockpit. This way the load can fill the entire length of the aircraft. These planes are also equipped with huge doors through which anything that can be placed inside the plane can pass. These aircraft can transport up to forty-seven tons of cargo. The largest capacity aircraft can transport a weight of about 250 tons.
process:
From pickup to shipping, the procedure is straightforward. Your logistics operator will settle with a nearby hauler to get up at your warehouse or office. Once the cargo is stacked, the carrier carefully delivers the cargo to the terminal and loads it onto the plane. Your carrier will take care of all pickup and shipping when the shipment arrives at the destination airport.
Advantages of Air Freight
Speed: If you need fast shipping of goods, please send by air. A rough estimate of shipping time is 1-3 days for express air service or air service, 5-10 days for any other air service, and 20-45 days for container ship. The time for customs clearance and cargo inspection at airports is also shorter than at seaports.
Reliability: Airlines operate on a strict schedule, which means that cargo arrives and departs very reliably.
Security: Airlines and airports have strict controls on cargo, greatly reducing the risk of theft and damage.
Coverage: The airline offers a wide range of flights to and from most destinations around the world. Additionally, air freight may be the only option available to and from landlocked countries.
Disadvantages of Air Freight
Cost: Air freight costs more than ocean or land freight. According to a World Bank study, air freight costs 12-16 times more than ocean freight. Also, air freight is charged based on the volume and weight of the cargo. This is not a cost-effective shipment.
Environment: Air freight has a much larger carbon footprint than ocean freight. A UK government study says that a container ship carrying 2 tonnes of cargo across 5,000km creates 150kg of carbon dioxide equivalent (measured relative to GWP), while if the same cargo is transported by air the same distance creates 6,605kg carbon dioxide equivalent. Emissions from takeoff, landing and flying contribute to air pollution and global warming. Air cargo also contributes to noise pollution and congestion inside and outside the airport.
Note: Sometimes it makes more sense to ship by sea than by air. This blog guides shippers in deciding between the two modes. If you’ve decided to ship by sea, check out our guides for FCL shipping here and LCL shipping here.
How is air freight calculated?
Rates are affected by the product being shipped, the carrier and aircraft you use, and the charged weight of the shipment. Billable weight is gross weight or volumetric weight, whichever is greater. The dimensional weight is determined by using an equation that separates the estimated length x width x height of the load by the dimensional weight factor. Generally, larger items that weigh less take up more space than smaller items, which is why air carriers choose to charge the weight option. Air freight is usually determined by billable weight. The chargeable weight applicable to the shipment will be the original weight or the dimensional weight, whichever is greater. The volumetric weight is 6000 cubic centimeters per kilogram. Hence, the cubic centimeter volume i of the isolated cargo.
For example, let’s say you have a 60 x 110 x 110 cm cargo with an original load of 400 kg. The following is the calculation of the volumetric weight:
Volume: 60 x 110 x 110 cm = 726000 cm3
Volumetric weight: 1,152,000 cm3/6000 = 121 kg
Factors Affecting Cost
The multifaceted nature of the air freight business requires flexible pricing policies that allow carriers to change their rates quickly and efficiently in response to fluctuating economic conditions. Companies that figure out how to do this will surely have a competitive advantage in the market.