Air Freight
Definition
Air freight is the transport of cargo by aircraft, either in dedicated freighters or in the belly holds of passenger planes. It is the fastest long-distance mode and also the most expensive, priced per kilogram of chargeable weight.
In Practice
Air cargo moves door to door in roughly two to seven days internationally, compared with weeks by sea. Pricing uses chargeable weight, the greater of actual weight and volumetric weight at 167 kilograms per cubic meter, so bulky goods pay for the space they occupy. Capacity fluctuates with passenger flight schedules, since much cargo flies in bellies.
Planners treat air as a precision tool rather than a default. It suits high value-density goods like electronics and pharmaceuticals, urgent production parts, and demand spikes where stockout cost exceeds the freight premium. A common tactic is mode-mixing: sea freight for the base forecast, air for the uncertain top slice or for launch quantities.
For example, when a component shortage threatens to stop an assembly line, a planner airs 500 kilograms of parts from Taiwan at perhaps ten times the ocean rate, a bargain against a day of line downtime.
Related Calculators
Related Terms
Ocean freight is the transport of goods by sea, typically in standardized containers aboard container ships. It is the dominant mode for international trade, offering the lowest cost per unit at the price of long transit times.
Dimensional WeightDimensional weight is a pricing method that converts a package's volume into an equivalent weight using a divisor, so carriers can charge for the space light, bulky shipments occupy. Carriers bill the greater of actual weight and dimensional weight.
Transit TimeTransit time is the elapsed time between a shipment leaving its origin and arriving at its destination. It is a core component of total lead time and a key input to inventory and delivery planning.
Freight ForwarderA freight forwarder is an intermediary that arranges international shipments on behalf of shippers, booking space with ocean and air carriers, preparing documentation, and coordinating handoffs along the route. Forwarders do not usually operate the ships or planes themselves.