Air Freight 

Here are more Information on Air Freight:

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1.1 What is Air Freight?

Air freight is used globally by importers and exporters when they need to move time-sensitive goods. Air transportation is also called air transportation. Generally, it is a more urgent cargo. If the road transportation cannot meet the time limit of the customer's requirements, the customer will choose air transportation. Air transportation is fast and safe. On-time ultra-high efficiency has won a considerable market, greatly shortened the delivery period, and played a great role in promoting the logistics supply chain to accelerate capital turnover and circulation. Major airlines have successively invested a large number of flights to collect the piece of cargo. However, the cost of air transportation is higher than that of sea transportation.

Though 90% of everything is shipped by sea freight, air freight connects the world faster, reducing 20-30 days by ocean to only about 3 days by air.

From standard airport-to-airport services to comprehensive end-to-end solutions, global air products are flexible and scalable according to your localized business needs. Unlike express shipping that handles door to door shipment of relatively small volume cargo, international air freight shipments can ship significantly larger cargo and can move across multiple carriers during shipment.

The volume of air freight has been increased dramatically due to decreasing shipping time, greater inventory control for just in-time manufacturing and stocking, generally superior condition of goods upon arrival, and even sometimes lowers prices.

1. General Information: Air Cargo Carriers, Airports in China, International Airports, Shipping Time, Tracking

2. Air Cargo Carriers

 

Air Cargo Carriers/ Cargo airlines are airlines mainly dedicated to the transport of cargo by air. Some cargo airlines are divisions or subsidiaries of large passenger airlines. Below we will list the main cargo carriers operating internationally.

 * FedEx Express

FedEx Express is the world's largest express transportation company, with more than 140,000 employees worldwide FedEx Express handles the highest volume in terms of air freight flown and has the largest dedicated fleet. In 2017, it handled 16,911FTKS and topped the list of air cargo carriers.

FTK: 17499

 * Emirates

Emirates SkyCargo is a cargo airline based in Dubai, United ArabEmirates. As of 2019, it is the second largest cargo airline worldwide in terms of the total freight tonne-kilometres flown.

FTK: 12713

 * Qatar Airways

World’s fastest growing AirlineQatar Airways is the state-owned flag carrier ofQatar. It operates out of its hub at the Hamad International Airport, at Doha.Connecting to major destinations across the map,QatarAirlines offers an ‘unrivalled level of service’.

FTK: 12459

 * UPS Airlines

UPS Airlines operate out of its headquarters at Louisville International Airport. UPS Airlines flies to 779 destinations worldwide.

FTK: 11940

 * Cathay Pacific Cargo

As the flagship air cargo service of Hong Kong, Cathay Pacific Cargo is in an excellent position to grow with the budding of Chinese economy.

FTK: 11284

 * Korean Air Cargo

As part of the largest airline in South Korea, Korean Air Cargo operates 24 freighters in over 100 destinations worldwide.

FTK: 7839

 * Lufthansa Cargo

This German-based air freight company got a boost in a big in the past years.

FTK: 7394

 * Cargolux

Cargolux is a Luxembourgish cargo airline with its headquarters and hub at Luxembourg Airport. With a global network, it is one of the largest scheduled all-cargo airlines in Europe.Charterflights and third-party maintenance are also operated.

FTK: 7322

 * Air China

Headquartered in Beijing, Air China Cargo Co., Ltd. (Air China Cargo) takes Shanghai as its main air freighter operation base and is China's only cargo airline operating with the national flag.

FTK: 7051

 * China Southern Airlines

Headquartered in Guangzhou,

FTK: 6597

 * Airports in China

 * International Airports

 * Shipping Time

 * Tracking

 * Air freight packaging requirements

There are three categories you should look into for air cargo packaging: Safety, Resistance and Acceptance. Below are the guidelines.

1. Sturdiness to withstand rough handling

2. Resistant to stress factors: lateral and vertical

3. Resistant to weather factor: heat, rain, moisture

4. Safe against manipulation-air cargo security point. Can items be smuggled into the package?

5. Uniform weight distribution

6. Temperature Insurance needed or not?

7. “This Side Up” label required or not?

8. Is the content fragile? You need a label showing that.

9. Is wood used? Packaging material, filling. Is the IPPC logo visible outside?

10. If dangerous goods, use certified packaging. It is mandatory.

11. Edge protection for cartons. Prevent straps from cutting into the carton.

12. Palettes: suitable for forklifts? Must be.

13. Maximum palette height for air freight: Lower deck (long haul flight)160cm

14. Cartons on palette: use shrink-wrap.

15. Cartons: strong and free from slits. Multiple straps to avoid manipulation

16. No bark on wood!

17. Wood: Treated?

18. Multiple cartons: affix carton numbers, attach content list to individual cartons.

19. Tamper-proof packaging

20. How is airfreight calculated?

Prices (airfreight rates) are always quoted per kg/6 dm3. This can also be called the volume ratio 1 : 6 or 1 m3 = 167 kg. That means you either pay for the weight or the space necessary for the transport of your consignment.

The calcuation is always based on the following equation regardless of whether you are paying for the weight or the space:

Length (cm) x width (cm) x height (cm) / 6000 (equals the volume weight in kg)

How freight forwarder handling air freight shipping process

It is important to understand air cargo handling process in order to successfully plan an air freight shipment.

Contact your forwarder to get quote. We should suggest you to choose FOB term over CIF term when you have cargo shipping from China.

After quote agreed, booking form should be sent to forwarder.

Forwarder checks the flight schedule and book shipping space from the carrier/airline.

Forwarder arranges picking cargo and ship to the airport.

Weight/volume is confirmed and cost is confirmed again.

Customs declaration and ship the cargo

Tracking cargo and notice consignee arrival date

 

What are the advantages of Air Freight

When you ship cargo overseas, price is not the only factor that you should consider. Besides, air shipping is becoming more and more affordable that it is preferred by many industries. Below are the advantages of air freight shipping.

High Speed and Less Risk of Delay

When you have limited time frame to transport cargo for long distance, like from China to countries around the world, air freight is advantageous over sear freight or land transportation. And air freight is usually more punctual. Sea freight would have bigger risk of delay as it sometimes has to transship in transit ports and the long shipping time also adds to the uncertainty.

- Less Damage Risk

Quicker shipping and less handling means less risk of damage. That is why most high-value products prefer air shipping over other means of shipping.

- Global Shipping Flexibility

Sea freight and land freight have to go through the major ports or cities. You might ignore the small countries when you develop your customer groups. Air freight allows you to ship to a lot more places around the world and thus enlarge your business scope.

- Low Insurance Premiums

As air freight shipping is fast and safe, air freight premiums are lower compared to sea freight or other forms of shipping. This somewhat offset the higher cost of air shipping.

- Less Stock and Reduce Cost of Warehousing

As shipping time is shortened, inventory can be reduced and results in less warehousing cost. This would greatly improve your management efficiency and operation cost.

- Reducing Packaging Material

Air freight simplifies the packing due to its safe shipping. It not only saves packaging cost but also shortens the packing process and thus reduce cost.

- Suitable for Transporting Short Shelf Life Products

For short shelf life products, shipping time is extremely important. Air freight is the ideal means of transportation.

- End-to-end Service

The international air transport network provides a wide range of services that meet the needs of different customers. This includes good relationships with GP carriers, carriers, operators, practices and logistics. This ensures your load arrives safely. The fragile and sensitive packages are safer in the hands of air freight services.

If you have cargo to ship from China and you are weighing the pros and cons of different means of transportation, please feel free to contact us in Global Spring, our experts will analyze your specific cases and offer you advices. We can work out an ideal shipping solution for your cargo.

Air freight is used globally by importers and exporters when they need to move time-sensitive goods. Though 90% of everything is shipped by sea freight, air freight connects the world faster, reducing 20-30 days by ocean to only about 3 days by air.

From standard airport-to-airport services to comprehensive end-to-end solutions, global air products are flexible and scalable according to your localized business needs. Unlike express shipping that handles door to door shipment of relatively small volume cargo, international air freight shipments can ship significantly larger cargo and can move across multiple carriers during shipment.

The volume of air freight has been increased dramatically due to decreasing shipping time, greater inventory control for just in-time manufacturing and stocking, generally superior condition of goods upon arrival, and even sometimes lowers prices.

1. General Information: Air Cargo Carriers, Airports in China, International Airports, Shipping Time, Tracking

2. Air Cargo Carriers

 

1.2 What is IATA?

This alludes to the division of air transportation business regions on IATA. IATA divides the world into three regions, and each region is divided into several communities. The IATA1 area includes all South and North American continents and their neighboring islands (Greenland, Bermuda, West Indies and Caribbean Islands, and Hawaiian Islands). The area is divided into three communities in the Central Atlantic, North Atlantic and South Atlantic regions. The IATA2 area includes all of Europe and its neighboring islands, all of Africa and its neighboring islands, and western Asia, including Iran. The area is divided into three districts: Africa, Europe and Middle East. The IATA3 area includes all Asian regions and their neighboring islands except the IATA2 area; Australia, New Zealand and its neighboring islands; Pacific islands except the IATA1 area. IATA3 is further divided into the South Asian subcontinent subregion, Southeast Asia subregion, Western Pacific subregion, Japan and North Korea subregion. The People's Republic of China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the east of the Ural Mountains in Russia are all classified in the Southeast Asia sub-region of IATA3. In the process of formulating freight rate regulations and related regulations, IATA has fully considered the social, economic, and trade conditions in different regions of the world. Therefore this division is not completely consistent with the geographical division.

 

1.3 Shipping Methods

The specific operation methods of strong standard air transportation mainly include: airline transportation, charter transportation, centralized consignment method; air express delivery, cash on delivery method, air transportation method, etc.

1. A flight is a plane that sets sail, sets a route, sets a departure station, a route station and a destination station within a specified period. Its biggest feature is that it can accurately grasp the shipping and arrival time.

2. Chartered transportation refers to the airline or charter agency that leases the entire aircraft or part of the cabin to the charter (cabin) from one or several air stations in accordance with the conditions and rates agreed in advance with the charterer. Departure to the designated destination. Generally speaking, the cost of charter flights (cabins) is lower than that of flights, but the range of activities is smaller.

3. The centralized consignment method refers to a method in which an air freight forwarding company combines several batches of individually delivered sporadic goods into a whole batch and consigns them to the airline in a centralized manner. Fill out a master waybill and send it to the same arrival station, and then the air freight forwarding company will entrust the local agent to receive the goods and separate it to the actual consignee. The biggest feature of this method is that it can win a lower freight rate than sporadic consignment and reduce the cumbersomeness of the consignor to handle the consignment.

4. Air express delivery means air express. This method is particularly suitable for the rapid transport of small items such as urgently needed items, medical devices, valuables, drawings, key parts, samples, documents, etc., and has adapted to the fast-paced needs of modern society.

5. The cash on delivery method is an agreement reached in advance between the consignor or its agent and the carrier, and the carrier will represent the consignor or its agent when the goods arrive at the destination and handed over to the consignee Collect the price of the goods recorded on the air waybill, and then send it to the consignor or its agent, which is to collect the goods. The air freight declared value fee and a handling fee shall be prepaid by the consignor or paid by the consignee at the destination.

6. The use of container transportation in air transportation is the general trend. However, due to the special shape of the aircraft cabins, in addition to the use of standard containers in the cargo cabins of large aircrafts, non-standard containers of different sizes, volumes, and shapes are generally used. The use of container transportation is mainly to improve transportation efficiency, save packaging, and facilitate turnover.

 

1.4 Shipping Process

Domestic Cargo - Air Freight Procedures for Goods Within China

1. The sender should fill in the transfer letter for local merchandise and present the transfer conventions to the cargo division or its household airship cargo air course specialist with the inhabitant ID card or other substantial ID reports. In the event that the cargo office or its operator requires the shipper to give a unit presentation letter or other legitimate testament, the shipper ought to likewise give it.

2. When consigning fresh and perishable items, live animals, emergency items and time-restricted goods, the shipper should book the flight, date, and tonnage to the freight department in advance, and handle the consignment procedures at the agreed time and place.

3. The shipper shall consign the goods restricted by the government and the goods that need to go through the formalities of public security, quarantine and other relevant government departments, with valid certification documents.

4. The shipper shall be responsible for the authenticity and accuracy of the contents of the filled cargo consignment and the information and documents provided.

5. The shipper shall fill in the cargo consignment book separately for the consignment with different transportation conditions or due to the nature of the goods.

 

International Cargo - Air Freight Procedures for International Goods Out of/ Into China

1. The shipper should fill in the international cargo consignment document and provide materials and documents related to transportation.

2. The shipper shall be responsible for the authenticity and accuracy of the contents of the filled cargo consignment and the information and documents provided.

3. The goods consigned by the shipper must comply with the laws, decrees and regulations of the country of departure, transit and destination and all transportation regulations of the relevant airline.

4. Before consigning the goods, the shipper must go through all the formalities of the customs, sanitation and quarantine at the place of departure.

5. When the shipper consigns fresh and perishable items, live animals, valuables, dangerous items, time-limited requirements and large quantities of goods, the flight department, the date and the tonnage should be booked in advance from the freight department, and at the airport at the agreed time The shipping department handles the shipping procedures.

 

Paperwork Procedure

1. Passengers must check in their luggage with valid tickets. The carrier shall indicate the number and weight of checked baggage on the passenger ticket and luggage ticket.

2. Carriers should generally collect checked baggage during check-in on the day of flight departure; if group passengers have too much baggage or need to check in in advance for other reasons, they can check in with the passenger at a time and place.

3. The carrier shall attach a luggage tag to each piece of baggage checked by the passenger, and provide the passenger with the identification. The self-care baggage approved by the carrier shall be weighed together with the checked baggage, and shall be taken into the passenger cabin for self-care, and the self-care baggage shall be attached to the baggage.

4. Items that are not baggage should be checked as cargo and cannot be checked as baggage.

5. International air transport information: customs declaration form, customs declaration power of attorney, packing list, invoice, and relevant permits.

 

Packaging and Labeling

1. The packaging of the goods shall ensure that the goods will not be damaged, lost, leaked, damaged or polluted aircraft equipment or other items during transportation. The packaging of the goods should be strong, intact and light, and meet the requirements of the whole transportation

2. The shipper shall specify the unit, name, detailed address and storage and transportation requirements of the consignee and shipper on the outer packaging of each piece of goods.

3. The shipper shall affix or attach the carrier's cargo transportation label to the outer packaging of each piece of cargo.

4. When using the old packaging, the shipper must remove the residual marks and labels on the original packaging.

5. The packaging of special goods such as live animals, fresh perishables, valuables, dangerous goods, etc. shall meet the specific requirements of the carrier for such goods.

 

Domestic Goods Packaging

1. The carrier can determine the maximum weight and packaging size of the goods that can be received and transported according to the type of the route, the loading and unloading equipment and the loading and unloading capacity of the airport of the departure station, transfer station, and destination station.

2. The sum of the length, width and height of the outer packaging of each item shall not be less than 40 cm.

3. The unit of measurement for the gross weight of the cargo is kilograms, and the mantissa with a gross weight less than 1 kilogram is rounded.

4. When the gross weight of each air waybill is less than 1 kg, it is calculated as 1 kg. The unit of measurement for the gross weight of valuables is 0.1 kg, and the billable weight is 0.5 kg.

5. Light foam goods are calculated as 1 kilogram per 6000 cubic centimeters.

 

International Goods Packaging

1. The carrier can determine the maximum weight and packaging size of the goods that can be received and transported according to the specific model used on the route, as well as the loading and unloading equipment and loading and unloading capabilities of the airport of the departure station, transfer station, and destination station.

2. The sum of the length, width and height of the outer packaging of each item shall not be less than 40 cm.

3. The unit of measurement for the gross weight of the cargo is 0.1 kg, and the billable weight unit is calculated at 0.5 kg, those less than 0.5 kg are calculated at 0.5 kg, and those exceeding 0.5 kg at less than 1 kg are calculated at 1 kg.

4. Light foam goods are calculated as 1 kilogram per 6000 cubic centimeters.

 

Consignment

1. According to the nature of the goods, special care and guardianship are required during the transportation process, and the shipper should send someone to escort, otherwise, the carrier has the right not to carry.

2. The shipper should contact the airport freight department in advance to determine the flight, date and tonnage of the transportation, and send the escorted goods to the airport freight department for the consignment method at the time agreed by both parties. The escort purchases the ticket and goes through the check-in formalities.

3. If the escorted goods are damaged or lost during the transportation process, the escort shall be responsible, except for the proof that it is caused by the fault of the airport freight department.

 

Air Freight for Dangerous Goods

Dangerous goods refer to those that can pose a hazard to human health, flight safety, property or the environment, and are listed in the Dangerous Goods Name List of the "Dangerous Goods Aviation Safety Transport Technical Directive" issued by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) or based on Substances or articles classified in the Technical Directive. According to the currently valid international standards, namely, the International Civil Aviation Organization's "Dangerous Goods Air Transport Safety Technical Instructions" and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) "Dangerous Goods Rules", dangerous goods in air transportation activities can be roughly divided into the following categories Nine categories: 1. Explosives; 2. Gases; 3. Flammable liquids and flammable solids; 4. Spontaneously flammable substances and gaseous substances released in contact with water; 5. Oxidizing agents and peroxides; 6. Toxic and infectious substances; 7. Radioactive materials; 8. Corrosive materials; 9. Miscellaneous dangerous goods. According to the degree of danger of dangerous goods, dangerous goods can be divided into dangerous goods that can be carried by passenger and cargo aircraft, dangerous goods that are only restricted to cargo aircraft, dangerous goods that are prohibited under normal circumstances but can be carried by special exemptions in the relevant countries, and It is forbidden to transport dangerous goods under any circumstances.

These dangerous goods include all kinds of chemical products with obvious dangers, as well as common goods that are easily overlooked by the public in daily life, such as perfumes, medicines, automobiles, electrical appliances, and aquatic products that are kept fresh by special means. Even certain animals and fruits have certain risks under special circumstances. With the continuous development of society, the types of dangerous goods are still increasing

 

1.4 Airway Bill

The air waybill is very different from the sea waybill, but it is similar to the international railway waybill. It is an important cargo transportation document issued by the carrier or its agent, and it is the transportation contract between the undertaking party and its contents are binding on both parties. Air waybills are not transferable, and holding an air waybill does not mean that you can claim ownership of the goods.

(1) An air waybill is a contract of carriage between the shipper and the air carrier

Unlike the ocean bill of lading, the air bill of lading not only proves the existence of the air transportation contract, but also the air bill of lading is the cargo transportation contract concluded between the consignor and the air transportation carrier. After delivery to the consignee recorded on the waybill, it will become invalid.

(2) The air waybill is the certificate of the received goods issued by the carrier

The air waybill is also a receipt for the goods. After the consignor sends the goods, the carrier or its agent will hand over one of them to the consignor (that is, the consignor) as proof that the goods have been received. Unless otherwise noted, it is a proof that the carrier received the goods and shipped them in good conditions.

(3) The air waybill is the bill against which the carrier has checked the freight

The air bill of lading separately records the expenses borne by the consignee, the fees payable to the carrier and the fees payable to the agent, and details the types and amounts of the fees, so it can be used as freight bills and invoices. Carriers often also use the carrier as a voucher.

(4) Air waybill is one of the customs declaration documents

The air waybill is one of the customs declaration documents during export. When the goods arrive at the destination airport for import declaration, the air waybill is usually the basic document for customs inspection and release.

(5) The air waybill can also be used as an insurance certificate

If the carrier undertakes insurance or the consignor requires the carrier to take out insurance, the air waybill can also be used as an insurance certificate.

(6) Air bill of lading is the basis of the carrier's internal business

The air waybill accompanied the cargo to prove the identity of the cargo. The waybill contains matters related to the delivery, transshipment and delivery of the goods, and the carrier will make corresponding arrangements for the transportation of the goods accordingly.

The original copy of the air waybill is in triplicate, each with the reverse clause printed on it, one of which is delivered to the shipper as the basis for the carrier or its agent to receive the goods; the second is retained by the carrier as a voucher for accounting; and finally A copy accompanied by the goods, as the basis for checking the goods when the goods arrive at the destination and delivered to the consignee.

 

1.5 Forbidden Goods

Articles that threaten the safety of aviation flight may be items or substances that may obviously endanger personal health, safety or cause damage to property during air transportation. There are mainly the following types:

Small and valuable items: cash, securities, money orders, credit cards, jewelry, cameras.　Urgent items: medicines, keys, passports, traveler's checks, business documents. Irreplaceable items: manuscripts, heirlooms, fragile items: glasses, glass containers, liquids. The above items should be carried with you, or in carry-on luggage that can be placed under the seat. The airline shall be liable for compensation for the loss or damage of the above items carried in the checked baggage according to the general checked baggage. Passengers are not allowed to carry controlled knives on board. Sharp objects or blunt objects other than controlled knives should be checked with checked baggage and cannot be carried with you.

Regulations on baggage that can be shipped on international routes only after the relevant department issues relevant certificates