Air freight

Types of air cargo that you should keep in mind

Airfreight is not a straightforward service based on packing the cargo onto the plane and then departing. There are different requirements when shipping various types of air cargo. Here is our brief overview of air cargo ‘s categories that you should know.

Air cargo is loaded onto a plane

What does air cargo refer to?

Transporting goods and products by air, whether in the hold of a passenger aircraft or a cargo-only aircraft, is referred to as air cargo. It is an essential link in the world supply chain. It makes it possible for companies to transport goods rapidly and effectively over great distances, guaranteeing on-time delivery and access to markets around the world.

As a result, air cargo is a crucial component of modern logistics and is crucial to the world economy. It links customers, suppliers, and producers all across the world.

The importance of air cargo in supply chain management is undeniable. Compared to traditional forms of transportation like ground or sea shipping, it provides unmatched speed and flexibility. Air freight service is the best option for items that need to be delivered quickly or at a high value, even if it can be more expensive than other options.

This guide provides a thorough overview of the different types of air cargo.

Different types of air cargo

There are two basic categories for the numerous sorts of air cargo: General cargo and Special cargo. Then, Special Cargo is split up into more compact, highly specialized sub-groups. We shall look much more closely at these specialized sub-groups in the next sections.

General Cargo

Items that do not fall into the Special cargo category and do not need any additional safety measures or special treatment during air transportation are referred to as General Cargo. For instance: retail and most consumer goods (except mobile phones, tablets and laptops), dry goods, hardware, textiles, and so on.

Special cargo

Goods especially are more complicated. Specialty cargo are goods which, by their nature, weight, size and/or value, may have specific requirements including packaging, labelling, documentation and handling through the transport chain. The transport of these goods are addressed through specific regulations that must be followed when preparing, offering, accepting and handling this cargo.

Live Animals

Live Animals is the service is normally used for pets. Live animals (such as dogs, cats, turtles, etc.) must be shipped in a space that is well aired, and they must be housed in crates that will ensure their comfort during the flight. The fee will be determined by the weight of the crate (with the pet inside) that can be charged.

Dangerous goods

Any substance or material that poses an unjustifiable risk to health, safety, or property when transported by air is considered a dangerous good (also known as a hazardous material or Hazmat).

These goods are divided into 9 categories, each with its own set of regulations governing packaging, labeling, documentation requirements, and handling and storage instructions:

Explosives
Flammable Gasses
Flammable Liquids
Flammable Solids
Oxidizing
Toxic and Infectious
Radioactive
Corrosives
Miscellaneous, such as cargo requiring an elevated temperature, magnetized materials, and microorganisms.

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High Value Cargo

High value cargo are items with a stated worth of $1,000 USD or more per kilogram. However, each country may assign a different value to such cargo; for instance, the USA has a $5,000 per kilogram declared value restriction.

Gemstones, jewelry, and pearls are frequent items in this cargo, along with gold and other valuable metals, cash, stock certificates, bank documents, haute couture clothing, furs, tapes with sensitive personal data, as well as high-end food and equipment.

Temperature Controlled Goods

Temperature Controlled Goods include both frozen and refrigerated human and animal food items as well as non-food products like pharmaceuticals and medical care items. Those commodities require specific regulations and controls on the temperature to which they are exposed during transport. In a practice of air cargo transportation Temperature Controlled Goods is divided on three categories:

Perishable Goods: perishable foodstuffs (dairy products, chilled or frozen fish and meat, fresh fruits and vegetables), and also cut flowers, plant material etc.
Pharmaceuticals: Any kind of drug used for medical purposes, likes antibiotics, vaccines, human blood-plasma fractions, and steroid hormones.
Life Sciences Products: human organs, human tissue samples, blood tests, etc.

Heavy Weight and Over Dimensional Freight

Some goods have extremely enormous weights and/or dimensions, making it impossible for normal cargo aircraft to transport them. These goods need a particular supply chain, which includes customized aircraft with oversized cargo compartments and nose/tale cargo ramps as well as specialized loading equipment. Electricity generators, building supplies, oil well equipment, small ships, helicopters, and other items are a few examples of this type of cargo.

Wet Cargo

Some air cargo needs to be labeled as “wet cargo” because it contains liquid, releases liquid, or could naturally produce liquid. Examples of wet cargo include: Wet substances not packaged in waterproof containers, such as fresh or frozen meat, fruits, vegetables, and other perishable goods; Liquid in watertight containers; etc.
During the flight, packaging must be secure and able to keep the package completely leak-proof while accommodating changes in atmospheric pressure and swift temperature changes.