Definition of air cargo

What is the meaning of air cargo?

Air freight is also known as air cargo. It is the carriage or transportation of goods via an airline. When it comes to moving express shipments around the world, air transport services are the most valuable, and they include air mail, air freight, and air express.

Air cargo flies through the same airport as commercial or passenger airlines.

What cargo is transported by air?

When it comes to the various types of cargo transported by air, they are divided into two categories: general cargo and special cargo. Special Cargo is then subdivided into smaller, more specialized groups. We will look at these specialized sub-groups in greater detail later on.

General cargo refers to items that do not fall into the Special Cargo categories and do not necessitate any special precautions or handling during air transport. Retail and most consumer goods (with the exception of mobile phones, tablets, and laptops), dry goods, hardware, textiles, and other items fall into this category. Consider your typical, everyday objects; the vast majority of them would fall into the general cargo area.

Things get a little more complicated with special cargo. Special cargo are goods that, due to their nature, weight, dimensions, and/or value, may have special requirements such as packaging, labeling, documentation, and transportation chain handling.

Specific regulations govern the transportation of these goods, which must be followed when preparing, offering, accepting, and handling this cargo. Among the items are dangerous goods, live animals, perishable cargo, wet cargo, and time and temperature-sensitive products.

IATA has three Boards to ensure that there are globally harmonized standards that ensure the safety and convenience of these products: The Dangerous Goods Board (DGB), Time and Temperature Working Group (TTWG), and Live Animals and Perishables Board (LAPB) manage the standards and guidelines for the transportation of these products. Let’s break down this special cargo to learn more about it.

How does air cargo work?

The process is simple from pickup to delivery. Your logistics provider will work with a local carrier to arrange a pick-up at your warehouse or holding facility. After loading the freight, the carrier will tender the shipment to the airport, where it will be loaded onto a plane.