Air freight shipping is the transportation method that refers to moving parcel and freight overseas through aircraft. Air freight remains the fastest freight shipping method, despite it being less frequently used compared to other transportation options like ocean shipping and trucking. With the rapid growth of e-commerce, air freight volumes have drastically increased within recent years. In 2019, air freight is predicted to be transported freight.
Essentially, air freight shipping services are known for their outstanding shipping speed that comes at a high cost. Air freight rates are formed by many different factors, including fuel surcharges, handling fees, customs payments and more, but the defining factor in the air shipping price is the shipment’s weight. In air freight shipping, both actual and dimensional weight is considered. If the dimensional weight is bigger than the actual, you will be charged according to volumic weight.
As one of the most commonly used shipping modes, air shipping has many benefits.
Apart from short transit times, air shipping provides shipment safety, international coverage, and fewer disruptions. It is often used for transporting valuable paperwork and expensive goods.
The most comprehensive advantage of global air freight shipping is its speed. Compared to weeks, or even months that ocean shipping takes, you can receive a shipment from another part of the world in 2 – 7 days. Most air shipments are transported via truck to the airport, which may add a few days onto the time that it takes to transport a shipment. This plays an important role for retail shippers and companies who sell electronics, apparel, consumer packaged goods, medical supplies, and pharmaceutics.
Air freight shipping can handle many commodity types, however, there are some goods that are predominantly shipped via air:
Depending on your air freight carrier, there can be different ways of arranging air shipping. However, the general scheme looks like this:
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