As the supply and demand of goods grows, people order products from different continents and countries. Airfreight is freight transport by aircraft. The cargo can be transported on scheduled or charter flights as freight, express or mail.
Since there is an increasing demand for complete transport solutions such as door-to-door transport, the term air transport denotes a partial service within the transport service. In air freight transport, companies and air freight forwarding companies in particular act as contractual partners.
The internet serving as an awesome medium for the marketing of goods, the need for fast transport also becomes crucial. Some shipments have to be transported faster or the distance cannot be covered by trucks and ships. That is where air freight forwarding comes in. Whether you want to send your precious cargo to another city or country fast or receive it, these tricks will help you in deciding the best options for air freight forwarding.
Importance of air freight forwarding for businesses
Many great air freight forwarding companies also take over the administration of all relevant freight documents and also offer customs clearance. You always stay up to date on all your shipments.
If the items you have sent are sensitive, you can have a personal and experienced manager who will proactively take care of solving any problems that may arise.
Due to the increase in international business, the need for air transport has increased significantly. The decentralization of the production processes means that complex products are no longer manufactured at just one location.
Tracking the shipment
After you have sent your parcel or are trying to receive something you’ve been sent by someone or have ordered it yourself, the concern is to track your shipment. You can book your shipment door-to-door and track it in real-time.
The trend of air freight forwarding
Airfreight is transported either in pure cargo aircraft or as an additional cargo in passenger aircraft. The third variant of transportation is air freight replacement by truck or train, also called a road feeder service. This is done on behalf of the airlines. Even though the transport takes place on the ground, the cargo retains the status of air freight.
In contrast, the ground transports stand for pre-delivery (shipper – airport) and post-delivery (airport – recipient). These are organized by air freight forwarders on behalf of the shippers and recipients.
In the past, air transport was only used for particularly high-quality freight and in urgent exceptional cases. Airplanes are now responsible for the regular transport of a wide variety of goods and have become indispensable for overseas trade.
Advantages of air freight forwarding
- The trend towards just-in-time strategy, in particular, requires close cooperation between companies and suppliers – and above all a smooth supply chain.
- Despite comparatively low transport capacities and high transport costs, there are advantages for which freight forwarders are willing to pay higher freight rates.
- The short transport times enable quick and selective reactions to fluctuations in demand or unforeseen delivery bottlenecks.
- Short transport times mean low capital commitment costs.
- The stress caused by transport remains low, which keeps the prices for packaging costs as well as insurance premiums low.
- Airfreight is fast, punctual and safe. Due to the high-frequency density, production facilities can be supplied according to the just-in-time principle.
- Airfreight is flexible. That is why it is used particularly for goods with special requirements, for example for live animals, perishable goods or consignments that require a continuous cold chain.
Air cargo security
Airfreight companies may only accept shipments that comply with security regulations. In order for the freight to be classified as “safe”, it must first be searched or X-rayed. These checks take time, so much time, if necessary, that the flight will be missed for short-term deliveries.
Liability
The carrier is generally liable for damage to goods that occurred during transportation. The usual disclaimers such as force majeure or defective packaging by the sender apply. The hazard liability covers air freight replacement traffic by truck or train and also includes damage that occurs in its transshipment warehouse. After payment of a surcharge, the liability sum can be increased by declaring a delivery value.
Dangerous goods in air freight
The air transportation of substances that endanger the safety of an aircraft or the people on board can either be prohibited or restricted. For example, some dangerous goods may only be transported in cargo aircraft and may not be loaded in passenger aircraft.
All dangerous goods must be declared as such and packed and labeled according to the regulations. On the one hand, the air waybill already indicates that the shipment contains dangerous goods.
The shipper attaches a detailed declaration for dangerous goods, which includes the Material Safety Data Sheet, the correct technical name, dangerous goods class and packaging group of the substance. This declaration cannot be completed without prior training and knowledge of the current regulations.
Accompanying documents
In addition to the air waybill, and air freight shipment contains accompanying documents such as commercial invoices, import licenses or consulate bills. The number and type of accompanying documents depend on the respective national regulations.
Conclusion
Airfreight is fast, safe and efficient. Transparency, user-friendliness, and speed are the goals of Air freight forwarding. The advantages of air freight forwarding are the reason it’s used by individuals, small business and huge companies alike.
It is in the spirit of the 21st century that digitization is also entering the traditional freight forwarding industry. The aviation companies have a pioneering role here.
Customers can only benefit from this – not only because of the simpler and faster booking processes but also financially.
The specialist association for freight forwarding and logistics represents the interests of all companies in the freight forwarding and logistics industry in the trade.
High-quality and urgent goods are almost predestined for air transportation. This is due to the specific advantages of air freight, such as reliable and safe transportation. Goods are handled gently and the impact on the climate remains minimal.
