What Is Air Shipping? | Types of Air Freight | Benefits of Air Cargo | Air Cargo vs. Ocean Cargo | Choosing Air Cargo Solutions | Fast and Reliable Air Freight Solutions From Kesco Logistics

 

Whether you’re shipping goods domestically or internationally, you need quick, dependable and secure freight solutions to deliver your products. In such a fast-paced global economy, businesses need expedient, cost-effective shipping solutions with tremendous international reach, which is why so many shippers rely on air cargo solutions.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation, American airlines carried over $76.57 billion worth of air cargo in 2020 alone. Air freight is much faster than sea or ground shipping, making it the ideal solution for businesses worldwide. Thanks to air freight services, distributors can reach global destinations in a matter of hours, greatly expanding their international trade opportunities.

What is air cargo? Here’s an in-depth look at air cargo solutions and how they can benefit your business.

What is an air freight service?

What Is Air Shipping?

What is an air freight service? Air shipping, also known as air freight or air cargo, is a form of transportation to ship goods domestically and internationally. For merchandise to make its way from its distribution point to its final destination, it must travel safely, securely and reliably, while maintaining compliance with domestic and international regulations. While there are numerous ways to get freight from point A to point B, shipping via air cargo is one of the most preferred options compared to other methods such as ground or ocean freight.

With air freight, cargo gets loaded onto jets operated by companies specializing in shipping freight by air. In other words, commercial airlines don’t just move people. They can also reserve portions of each flight or an entire plane specifically for cargo shipments. In addition to passenger airlines operating cargo flights, other airline companies exist solely to transport cargo, also known as cargo airlines. 

Companies have used aircraft to transport shipments since as early as the 1920s, which was when airmail first began. Since then, the air cargo industry has dramatically expanded, and today includes state-of-the-art freighters designed to haul massive quantities of cargo. In addition, the U.S. Postal Service contracts out its air cargo to some of the biggest air freight companies and commercial passenger airlines.

Types of Air Freight

Air cargo falls into three broad categories — general, special and dangerous. These categories refer to the handling requirements of different types of cargo. On one end of the spectrum, you have goods that don’t need special handling instructions or protection at all. On the other end, you have goods you must handle in precise ways for safety reasons.

Here’s a breakdown of the three types of air freight:

  • General cargo: Making up the most expansive category of goods being shipped, general cargo ranges from clothing to housewares to electronics. Goods classified as general cargo may still have specific handling instructions, but the level of care and protection required is minimal compared to other goods.
  • Special cargo: From perishable goods to livestock to medical supplies, there’s an enormous volume of special goods requiring expedient air transport. Special handling requirements typically include temperature and moisture control to prevent spoiling, product loss or other risks.
  • Dangerous goods: Air transport is a safe and effective way to transport hazardous goods because of the level of security involved in the airline industry. Items like explosives, toxic substances and flammable or corrosive goods need to meet unique handling protocols to protect people and the environment.

No matter what you need to ship, air freight services have the expertise and resources to transport your cargo safely and securely. Always ensure you’re aware of the handling requirements of your class of goods before arranging for air cargo solutions.

benefits of air cargo

Benefits of Air Cargo

Air freight solutions provide enormous benefits to organizations worldwide needing reliable transportation for their goods. Air shipping is convenient, accessible, fast and reliable. Because airlines already have the transportation infrastructure in place, businesses can quickly ship their goods virtually anywhere in the world by choosing one of the countless air freight providers.

If you’re an online retailer or distributor weighing your transportation options, below are a few reasons to consider air cargo solutions.

1. Faster Shipping

The primary benefit of air shipping is that it’s the fastest delivery method available. With domestic air freight solutions, same-day shipping is possible via air freight. For international air freight solutions, you can expect delivery times between one and two days.

Air freight is quicker for the obvious reason that jets travel faster than trucks or ocean vessels, but it’s also faster because of the sheer number of airports and air terminals worldwide. Air freight is also less susceptible to unforeseen delays, such as extreme weather, natural disasters and traffic shutdowns. For these reasons, air freight is the only option for most businesses when speed is the highest priority.

2. Easy Shipment Tracking

When you ship your cargo using air freight, you benefit from easy and convenient shipment tracking. Freight forwarders, like Kesco Logistics, use airlines for cargo delivery. These airlines provide freight forwarders with transparent information on shipments. This high level of communication between air freighters and logistics providers results in greater operational control for shippers.

A freight forwarding company can provide its customers with up-to-the-minute shipment tracking information. Having ongoing updates on shipment statuses allows businesses to be equally transparent with their customers, keeping them in the loop about when to expect their packages.

3. High Reliability

Air cargo is a highly reliable method of freight transport. Millions of flights are coordinated all around the world every day. Industry workers schedule flights using a highly complex set of procedures to ensure planes leave and arrive on time. Scheduling systems help achieve the common goal of efficiency, ensuring there are as few delays as possible.

Businesses that choose to ship their freight via air cargo benefit from the decades of experience airlines use to make precise scheduling calculations. The result is fast but dependable delivery, which means shippers look much more reliable in customers’ eyes. After all, customers these days want their shipments as soon as possible — and air cargo can make that a reality.

4. Better Security

Air cargo is also highly secure. Airports have become incredibly safe in recent decades thanks to enhanced security measures. Because air terminals have world-leading safety measures in place, they employ some of the most highly trained security personnel. As a result, businesses shipping their goods via air know their merchandise will arrive safely, without anyone tampering with or damaging it.

5. Worldwide Delivery

For businesses seeking to expand their international customer base, air cargo is the best option for reaching worldwide customers. With thousands of airports around the globe, companies can reach more locations using air freight than any other form of transportation. Many delivery locations are otherwise inaccessible with ocean or ground freight, such as landlocked regions or areas with poor infrastructure. 

Air cargo opens up access to commercial goods and is crucial in increasing the delivery of life-saving supplies, including vaccines and medications, to developing nations. Therefore, air cargo provides health care professionals a fast and reliable way to send health solutions to patients worldwide.

6. Reduced Secondary Costs

Because air freight is a faster and more efficient solution, businesses can actually save money on additional costs associated with other methods of transportation. By choosing air cargo, the time frame for distribution is much shorter. Therefore, companies can reduce secondary costs incurred when shipments take longer to deliver. The main cost-related benefits businesses enjoy with air freight include: 

  • Reduced packaging costs
  • Lower warehousing expenses
  • Cheaper insurance rates

Since workers only handle air freight for a limited time, general cargo often requires less special packaging for transportation than cargo that undergoes more handling points. The more frequent delivery options also mean goods spend less time in warehouses, keeping businesses’ overhead costs down. Finally, because of the speed of delivery, goods in transit require shorter insurance terms, reducing this expense for retailers.

Air Cargo vs. Ocean Cargo

All businesses distributing their goods across the country or worldwide have to consider which transportation method to use. Often the choice comes down to two primary options — air freight and ocean freight. Each solution has its advantages and disadvantages, and for some types of goods, one option makes more sense than the other.

For example, for businesses shipping goods that aren’t time-sensitive, it may make more sense to choose a more affordable but slower cargo option, which is ocean freight. Shipping via sea container allows you to keep costs low and pass on those savings to consumers. In addition, because these goods don’t have an expiration date and are in demand all the time, distributors can afford to have a shipping delay. That’s why the vast majority of goods manufactured in Asia are shipped to North American on ocean liners. These goods don’t expire, and ocean liners can carry higher volumes of goods than air freighters.

But for perishable goods, such as specialty and organic food imports, time is of the essence, meaning the fastest option is the only option. As a result, air cargo is the preferred option when speed is the main priority. The choice between air and ocean cargo then boils down to a cost-to-time ratio. Below is a closer look at the speed and cost comparisons between ocean and air freight options.

Shipping Speed

It’s no question that air cargo is a much faster shipping solution than ocean freight. In most cases, air shipping to international destinations can take one or two days. On the other hand, many cargo airlines can achieve same-day shipping on shipments traveling limited distances. 

Ocean cargo typically takes a few weeks and can take as long as a few months, depending on the route and the vessel. However, with canal access and improved technology, ocean freight companies have reduced their shipping times over the past few decades. However, even with these improvements, ocean cargo is far more susceptible to delays at ports due to the less predictable nature of maritime travel.

Shipping Costs

Because air cargo is much faster than ocean freight, it’s valued accordingly. Air shipping costs significantly more than ocean shipping precisely because it’s so much faster. As a result, organizations worldwide pay higher prices for the speed, convenience and broad distribution abilities that air cargo affords them. That said, efficiency isn’t the only reason air cargo costs more than ocean cargo. Air freight is also more expensive to operate. 

Aircraft requires enormous amounts of fuel to operate, making the entire air freight industry extremely reliant on oil production. This factor drastically impacts the rates customers pay for air freight, which fluctuate according to the supply and demand of oil worldwide. In addition, air shipping is also dependent on global economic climates. When countries that are major suppliers of certain commodities experience disturbances like economic sanctions, civil unrest or other uncertainties, air cargo in these regions becomes impacted, further affecting air cargo prices.

Kesco Logistics can help you find the fastest and most affordable way to ship.

Choosing Air Cargo Solutions

What is an air cargo service? Air freight services are logistics providers that arrange to send their customers’ shipments via aircraft to their final destination. Operators can arrange air freight solutions through either a commercial airline or an airline dedicated to cargo only. Freight forwarding service providers have connections with numerous airlines to locate the fastest delivery routes and negotiate the best deals. They act on your behalf, using their buying power to find you the optimal airline to deliver time-sensitive cargo quicker and for less money.

Several factors will determine which air cargo solution is right for your business. Firstly, the size and weight of your shipment greatly determine the cost of the delivery and which flight is available. Cargo flights fill according to size and weight, as there are necessary weight restrictions on cargo flights. Air cargo solutions also vary by type of cargo, with special and dangerous goods needing unique handling requirements.

In addition to the cargo itself, air freight solutions also depend on delivery location. Businesses have two broad air freight options, which include domestic and international air freight solutions. Domestic air freight solutions tend to cost less and arrive sooner, given the fewer restrictions and shorter distance. International air freight solutions can happen in virtually every location worldwide, but can take a day or two longer, with the cost increasing accordingly. 

Whether they’re shipping perishable goods, textiles or household goods, businesses need cargo solutions tailored to their products and customers. Air cargo providers can help businesses achieve their delivery goals. A freight forwarding company, like Kesco Logistics, can help you find the fastest and most affordable way to ship your cargo, ensuring you get the highest value delivery service possible.

Fast and reliable air freight solutions from Kesco Logistics.

Fast and Reliable Air Freight Solutions From Kesco Logistics

Air freight is a fast, reliable and highly secure way to transport goods domestically and internationally. When you have time-sensitive shipments, choose a freight forwarding partner with the experience and network to provide you with quick and dependable air freight solutions.

Kesco Logistics offers domestic and international air freight forwarding services for shippers sending everything from footwear to electronics. We negotiate the best rates on air freight from both commercial and cargo airlines, finding you the best deals available. Choose Kesco Logistics to arrange your air freight shipments for reduced transit time and safe and secure handling. Contact us today to learn more about our air freight services.