How much does Air Shipping Cost?

While 90% of cargo is shipped via the ocean, air shipping is used by global importers and exporters when they need to get goods somewhere quickly and reliably. Air shipping, or air freight, is considerably quicker than other freight options and is the fastest way to transfer goods internationally.

Our freight forwarding experts have put together the following guide on air shipping: the different types available, how much it costs, and how long it takes to air ship around the world.

Types of Air Shipping

• Standard: This is the most common service, in which the shipment may make several stops at different airports and transfer into different aircraft before reaching its final destination.
• Express: The fastest and most expensive way to ship goods. In exchange for a premium price, your goods are guaranteed to make it to their destination on time.
• Charter: If you need to move a large number of goods urgently, then you can charter a plane and transport them yourself. This is very quick but extremely expensive.
• Deferred: This service allows shipments that are not a high priority to be deferred until space becomes available on an aircraft. It is the most cost-effective due to a longer transit time.

How much does Air Shipping Cost?

Weight is the primary basis on which air freight rates are charged. Transporting goods with an air freight forwarder may be beneficial to an air courier as they base the price solely on weight, while the latter will usually charge extra for each individual item that they have to account for.

There may be additional charges involved with your transportation, such as customs brokerage, cargo insurance, documentation fees, airport transfer fees, and warehousing charge to name just a few. You should take these additional charges into account when deciding which freight option to transport your goods.

How Long Does Air Shipping Take?

The typical transit time for transporting items by air shipping is within 1-3 days, but will depend on a range of factors:

• The distance of the journey
• Which air freight option is chosen (express, standard, etc)
• The type of items being transported

KG Logistics offers services all around the world, with the four main locations being China, Australia, Turkey, and America.

China

For express air freight from China, air transfer time will not exceed two days. For classic air freight, the same process will take a week to deliver your goods. This form of transport is perfect if you need to transfer a shipment quickly, and it is most economical when the load is between 300 and 500 kilograms. However, there are often added costs such as the logistics to and from the airport, alongside custom fees.

Australia

Air freight from Australia to the UK takes between 3 and 8 days, depending on the freight option you take. An express delivery service will get the goods there quicker than a standard service. It is the fastest freight option but the fast delivery and long-distance mean that it is much more expensive than sea freight.

Turkey

Air shipping is recommended for smaller shipments and valuable or fragile goods. Due to the short transit time of 1-3 days, it is commonly used to transport goods with a short expiry date, such as food, flowers, and pharmaceutical products. While it is the quickest and most convenient method to transport goods, this also makes it the most expensive one. The two main cargo airports in Turkey are Istanbul Airport (IST) and Ankara Esenboğa Airport (ESB).

America

Air freight is ideal for importing a modest amount of goods, as it is the fastest but most expensive option. It should take approximately eight days to do so, depending on the freight forwarder. Some of the key airports for freight solutions include:

• Chicago O’Hare: Each year over 1.8 million tonnes of cargo were shipped from here, with the potential to accommodate 15 wide-bodied cargo aircraft simultaneously.
• New York JFK: Occupying a 21 square-kilometre site with four runways, this is the number one international air freight gateway in the US with close to 100 carriers operating out of the airport.
• Denver: The largest airport in North America and the second-largest in the world, with cargo teams handling 230,000 tonnes of cargo every year.

Speak to our experts today on 01634 540109 to find out how KG Logistics can help you with your freight forwarding needs.