- Consolidated Freight – Where one flight contains many shipments.
- Back to back or Direct Services – Where a flight contains one single shipment.
- Charter Services – Where an entire freight plane is chartered for a single air freight delivery.
- Choose an air freight company and negotiate a price to ship your goods.
- The Freight Forwarder will arrange for your goods to be collected pre-packed or will arrange for the packing to be done prior to transportation.
- The goods will be taken to the airport and go through Customs checks at the point of origin.
- The goods are loaded onto the plane. If being delivered with a consolidated shipment, the plane will remain on the ground until it is filled with cargo which could take a few days.
- On arrival at its destination, the shipment will go through another Customs inspection and will not be released into the country until all duty and taxes are paid.
- The shipment is delivered to you as per the agreement with your freight forwarding company.
- Efficiency – Air freight is quick, particularly if you use a direct service. You can expect goods to be at its intended destination within days of sending it whilst sea freight can take several weeks.
- Good Value on Smaller Deliveries – Air freight is charged based on weight as opposed to volume which makes it more cost effective to send smaller deliveries via air freight than by sea.
- More Options – Shipping companies are able to offer more options to the importer with air freight, including consols and direct routes.
- Less Potential to Damage Shipment – Providing the goods are correctly packaged, air freight is usually a better way of shipping fragile items as damage is less likely compared to sea freight.
- More Traceable – As flights are tracked, shipments are more easily traceable which can give businesses more peace of mind.
- Expense – Using air freight can be a lot more expensive than sea freight, not just for the cost of delivery but for import duty and VAT. These are calculated as a percentage of the cost of the goods plus the cost of shipping
- Logistical Restrictions – When using a consolidated freight shipment, the business will have to wait until the flight is full with other deliveries before it is sent. This can add time to the delivery with some flights only going once or twice a week to main destinations.
- Transport Restrictions – Air freight is much stricter in what it is allowed to transport than sea freight. Hazardous materials such as explosives, gases, flammable or radioactive items, toxic chemicals and strong magnets are among some of the items that are prohibited from being delivered by air freight.
- Environmental Restrictions – Air freight is considered worse for the environment compared to shipping goods by sea.