Air Cargo Companies

An air cargo company is any business that carries, sells or arranges space for freight on aircraft. The term covers airlines that fly freighters, passenger airlines that sell space in the belly of their aircraft, integrated networks that move packages door to door, regional operators flying smaller planes, charter operators that rent whole aircraft, and brokers and forwarders that book space for shippers. These companies play different roles, so the right one depends on what you are shipping, how urgent it is and whether you need the trucking at each end arranged as part of the service.

An integrator is a company that runs its own door-to-door delivery network, combining aircraft, sorting hubs and pickup and delivery vehicles under one system. Integrators handle the shipment from the shipper's door to the receiver's door, usually with tracking and customs clearance included for international parcels. They are designed mainly for documents and packages moving through high-volume networks on fixed schedules. Integrators can carry some heavier freight, but large pallets, oversized items and urgent freight that cannot wait for the network schedule are often better served by scheduled airline space or a charter.

An all-cargo airline operates aircraft that carry only freight, with no passengers. Its freighters carry cargo on the main deck as well as in the lower holds, which allows much larger and heavier shipments than passenger aircraft. All-cargo airlines fly scheduled routes between major cargo airports and also operate charter flights. They usually sell space through forwarders, brokers and other providers rather than directly to individual shippers, and they work airport to airport. Shippers moving pallets, machinery or oversized freight often rely on all-cargo airlines for capacity that passenger flights cannot provide.

Belly cargo is freight carried in the lower holds of passenger aircraft, beneath the passenger cabin. Passenger airlines sell this space to freight shippers, usually through providers, and it moves on the airline's regular passenger schedule. Belly cargo adds a large amount of air freight capacity on busy routes, especially between major cities. Its limits are the size of the hold doors and the space left after passenger baggage, so very large or tall pieces may not fit. Because flights are frequent, belly space is a common choice for urgent pallets and boxes on domestic lanes.

A Part 135 cargo operator is an air carrier certified by the Federal Aviation Administration under Part 135 of the federal aviation regulations, which covers commuter and on-demand operations. In cargo, these operators often fly smaller aircraft such as turboprops and light jets on charter or feeder routes, linking small airports with larger hubs or carrying urgent freight on demand. Part 135 certification sets requirements for pilots, maintenance and operations. Shippers who charter smaller aircraft for urgent freight are often flying with Part 135 operators, so it is reasonable to ask which certificated carrier will operate the flight.

An air charter operator is a certificated air carrier that rents an entire aircraft, with crew, to a customer for a specific flight. In cargo, the shipment gets the whole aircraft, and the departure time and route are planned around the shipper's needs rather than an airline schedule. Charter operators range from small turboprop operators to companies flying large freighters. Charters suit urgent, oversized or remote shipments where scheduled space is unavailable or too slow. Many shippers book charters through brokers, who compare aircraft and operators and arrange the trucking at both ends of the flight.

An air cargo broker arranges air transportation for shippers without operating aircraft itself. The broker books space on scheduled flights or reserves a charter aircraft, coordinates the trucking to and from the airports, and manages the shipment until delivery. Because it works across many airlines and operators, a broker can compare options, such as next flight out, standard air freight or a charter, and recommend the one that fits the freight and the deadline. For shippers, this means one contact for the whole move instead of separate calls to airline cargo desks and trucking companies.

A freighter aircraft is an airplane configured to carry cargo instead of passengers. Freighters have large cargo doors and reinforced floors, and they carry freight on the main deck as well as in the lower holds. Some are built as freighters from the start, while others are converted from passenger aircraft. Freighters range from small turboprops used for regional and charter work to wide-body jets that carry very large and heavy loads across oceans. They make it possible to fly oversized pieces, machinery and large volumes that would not fit on passenger flights.

A ULD, or unit load device, is a pallet or container used to load cargo onto an aircraft. ULDs are shaped to fit the contours of specific aircraft holds and decks, and they let many pieces of freight be loaded and unloaded as one unit. Common types include flat aircraft pallets with nets and enclosed containers. Shipments are built onto ULDs at the cargo terminal before the flight. The shape and size of ULDs affect how freight fits on an aircraft, which is one reason dimensions and the number of pieces matter when booking air cargo.

Chargeable weight is the weight used to price an air shipment, and it is the greater of the actual weight and the volume weight. Volume weight, also called dimensional weight, is calculated from the length, width and height of the shipment using a standard divisor. Airlines use it because a light but bulky shipment takes up space that could carry heavier freight. A small, dense shipment is charged on its actual weight, while a large, light one is charged on its size. Accurate measurements and compact packaging help keep the chargeable weight and the cost down.