Air Cargo Freight

Air cargo freight is commercial goods carried by aircraft, from boxes of parts to pallets, crates and machinery. It flies in the lower holds of passenger aircraft, on dedicated freighters or on chartered aircraft, usually with trucks handling pickup and delivery. Shippers use it when speed matters more than the lowest freight cost, such as for production parts, medical devices and electronics. It is priced on chargeable weight and service level, and it is documented with an air waybill that also serves as the tracking reference.

In everyday use, yes. Both terms describe goods carried by aircraft, and most shippers and providers use them interchangeably. Some people use air cargo as the broader term, covering freight, mail and express parcels, and air freight for commercial goods specifically. The more useful distinction for shippers is between express parcel services, which move small packages through sorting hubs within strict limits, and air freight services, which move pallets, crates and heavier pieces on flights with trucks at both ends.

An air waybill is the shipping document for air cargo freight. It acts as the contract of carriage between the shipper and the airline and as a receipt for the goods. It lists the shipper and consignee, the departure and destination airports, the number of pieces, weight, dimensions, a description of the goods and any special handling instructions. Each air waybill has an 11-digit number used to track the shipment. Unlike some ocean bills of lading, it is not a document of title.

An airline prefix is the three-digit code at the start of an air waybill number that identifies the airline issuing it. Every airline that carries cargo has its own prefix, assigned through the industry's numbering system. The remaining eight digits identify the specific shipment. Knowing the prefix tells you which airline's system to check for tracking. Tracking tools use the prefix to route a query to the right airline, which is why entering the full number, including the prefix, matters.

Air cargo is tracked through status events tied to the air waybill number. Typical events include booked, received or accepted, departed, arrived, available for pickup and delivered. Airlines post these events as the freight moves, but the detail varies by carrier, and gaps between events are normal. Truck legs to and from the airport often use a separate PRO or bill of lading number. Many shippers rely on one contact who watches every leg and calls if anything changes, rather than checking several systems.

A master air waybill is the air waybill an airline issues for a shipment it carries. When a freight forwarder consolidates freight from several shippers, the master air waybill covers the whole consolidated load and names the forwarder as the shipper. For shipments booked directly with the airline, the master air waybill is the only one. Its number begins with the airline's three-digit prefix. Airlines track freight by the master number, so it is the one to use when asking an airline for status.

A house air waybill is issued by a freight forwarder or consolidator to an individual shipper whose freight travels within a larger consolidated shipment. It describes that shipper's goods and acts as the contract between the shipper and the forwarder. The airline's master air waybill covers the whole load. Shippers usually track consolidated freight with the house number through the forwarder. When freight is booked directly on a flight rather than consolidated, there is no separate house air waybill. Asking which number to use at booking saves time later when you need a status update.

An integrator is a company that owns and runs the whole chain for its shipments: aircraft, trucks, sorting hubs and delivery routes. Because it controls every step, an integrator offers door-to-door express service with tracking throughout. Integrators are built mainly for parcels and smaller freight that fit their size limits and sorting systems, and they follow fixed network schedules. Larger or unusual freight, or shipments that cannot wait for the network's timetable, often move as air freight through airlines, brokers or forwarders instead.

Chargeable weight is the weight an air cargo shipment is billed on. It is the greater of the actual weight on a scale and the dimensional weight, which reflects how much space the freight takes up. For US domestic air freight measured in inches and pounds, dimensional weight is commonly length times width times height divided by 166. Light, bulky freight is charged by its size, while dense freight is charged by its weight. Accurate measurements keep the charge from changing after pickup.

A departed status means the aircraft carrying the freight has left the origin airport, or a connecting airport if the shipment has more than one flight. It confirms the freight made the planned flight. The next status is usually arrived, when the flight lands at the destination or connecting airport. If a departed event is missing when the flight should have left, the freight may have been held or moved to a later flight, which is a good moment to check with the provider.

For an accurate quote, send the number of pieces, the weight and dimensions of each, and a description of the commodity, including any hazardous materials and their classification. Add the pickup and delivery addresses, whether each site has a dock or needs a liftgate, the ready time and the deadline. These details decide the service level, the aircraft or flight, and the trucking at each end. Missing or estimated dimensions are the most common reason a quote changes after pickup.