Air Freight
Air Freight is the carriage of goods by aircraft — the fastest mode of international transport, moving cargo between continents in hours or days rather than the weeks of ocean shipping. It is used where speed, reliability or security justify its higher cost: high-value electronics, pharmaceuticals, perishables, urgent spare parts, e-commerce and time-critical shipments.
Cargo travels either in the belly hold of passenger aircraft or in dedicated freighters, consolidated onto pallets and unit load devices (ULDs). It is documented by the air waybill (AWB), governed by IATA rules, and charged on chargeable weight (the greater of actual or volumetric weight). Though air carries only a small share of world trade by volume, it accounts for a large share by value. Air freight demands tight coordination between shippers, forwarders, airlines and ground handlers to realise its speed advantage.
Air freight is the premium, speed-driven end of logistics — a small slice of trade by weight but a huge share by value, and the backbone of pharma, electronics and express e-commerce. Its economics (chargeable weight, ULDs, tight ground handling) are distinct from sea, making it essential knowledge for anyone moving time-critical or high-value goods.
When is air freight worth the cost?
For high-value, urgent, perishable or time-sensitive goods where speed and reliability outweigh the higher price versus ocean freight.
How does cargo travel by air?
In the belly holds of passenger aircraft or in dedicated freighters, consolidated onto pallets and unit load devices (ULDs).