The shipper prepares the freight according to air cargo standards. This may involve shrink-wrapping pallets, labeling hazardous materials, securing temperature-sensitive packaging, and palletizing. Ground handlers (or the shipper’s team) ensure the cargo is ready at the departure airport, coordinating with the charter’s flight-support staff.
On the appointed day/time, the aircraft takes off, often with priority handling (e.g. quicker taxi, direct routing). En route, the flight may stop to refuel if needed. Throughout the flight, the shipper’s team typically monitors progress. Because it’s a charter, there are minimal ground-to-ground transfers – cargo typically stays on the same plane from origin to destination.
Upon arrival, the cargo is offloaded immediately (often via ground handling equipment staged in advance). If customs or inspections are needed, the charter provider’s staff assist. Finally, the freight is handed over to the consignee or ground transport for final delivery to the end location.
Air Charter Speed & Flexibility
Flights depart on the customer’s schedule, often with minimal layovers or waiting. Point-to-point charters avoid hub connections, dramatically reducing travel time. This is crucial for time-critical cargo or urgent travel needs. For example, a charter flight can be arranged to deliver emergency parts directly to a remote site without airline routing delays.
This flexibility allows shippers and logistics managers to respond instantly to unforeseen disruptions—whether it’s a factory shutdown due to a missing component or a critical breakdown in field operations. With no dependence on airline schedules or pre-set routing, a dedicated aircraft can be wheels-up within hours, routed directly to the closest available airstrip near the final destination. That speed can mean the difference between hours of downtime and days of lost productivity.
Access to Secondary Airports
Charters can operate from smaller airports not served by airlines. Passengers or cargo can start or end closer to their final destination, saving ground transit time. Less congested airports also mean faster boarding, fueling, and departures.
This ability to use secondary or regional airports opens up access to remote locations, industrial zones, and underserved markets that lie far from major airline hubs. For cargo operations, this can be a game-changer—allowing shipments to bypass congested metro areas and be delivered directly to distribution centers, manufacturing plants, or field sites. Whether it’s a mining operation in the Midwest or a pharmaceutical shipment bound for a rural hospital, charter flights offer access where scheduled carriers simply can’t reach.
Customization and Privacy
On a charter, clients can tailor the cabin layout, catering, and services. The entire aircraft is exclusive to the chartering party, ensuring privacy and confidentiality. This is appealing for executives, celebrities, or any group needing a private environment.
In the cargo world, that same control applies to handling and storage conditions. Fragile items—such as precision instruments or high-end electronics—can be packed using shock-mitigating materials and secured with rigging tailored to the aircraft’s layout. Even the routing can be optimized to minimize turbulence or elevation changes, protecting sensitive cargo throughout the journey.
Whether the shipment is rare artwork, pharmaceutical stock, or prototype components, charter flights offer the discretion, flexibility, and tailored environment required to move them safely and securely.
Special Air Cargo Handling
Unusual or urgent air freight cargo is easier to accommodate with an air charter. For example, helicopters, livestock, hazardous materials, or medical supplies can be loaded and transported under special arrangements. Air ambulance charters have onboard medical staff and life-support gear to safely care for patients during flight.
Freighter aircraft used for these missions often feature specialized loading systems—such as nose doors, rear ramps, or onboard cranes—that allow for fast and secure handling of irregular cargo. Each of these operations is overseen by crews trained in non-standard air cargo handling, ensuring that weight, balance, and safety protocols are strictly followed.
Glossary of Air Charter Terms
- ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, Insurance)
- Block Hours (Block Time)
- Payload
- Dangerous Goods (DG)
- Freighter (All-Cargo Aircraft)
- Belly Cargo
- Charter Broker
- Dry Lease
- Empty Leg
- Oversized (Outsize) Cargo
- Partial Charter
ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, Insurance)
Block Hours (Block Time)
Payload
Payload represents everything on board that generates revenue—cargo, passengers, and baggage—excluding the aircraft’s empty weight and fuel. In cargo operations, it is usually stated in kilograms or metric tons. Each aircraft comes with a certified payload limit; for instance, the Boeing 747-8F can lift roughly 137 metric tons. Balancing shipments to maximize payload without breaching structural or performance limits is fundamental to efficient charter planning and profitability.
Dangerous Goods (DG)
Many urgent shipments have special needs (temperature control, hazmat classification, precious cargo, etc.). Success requires properly equipped aircraft and trained crews. For example, maintaining the cold chain for vaccines involves specialized containers and tracking. High-value or sensitive shipments might require security escorts or sealed compartments. Providers with experience in these areas plan all handling details in advance.
Freighter (All-Cargo Aircraft)
A freighter is an airplane built or modified exclusively for freight, with no passenger seating. It features reinforced floors, extra-wide cargo doors, and interior fittings optimized for pallets and containers instead of cabin amenities. Sizes run the gamut—from small turboprop feeders to jumbo wide-bodies—making freighters the workhorses of the charter market, where an entire aircraft is booked for a single shipment. Well-known models include the Boeing 747F, 777F, 767F, Airbus A330-200F, and outsized lift specialists such as the Antonov An-124. (By contrast, belly cargo rides in the holds of passenger jets.)
Belly Cargo
“Belly” freight occupies the lower-deck holds beneath the passenger cabin on scheduled airline flights. It is often a cost-effective option because airlines sell this space alongside tickets, but capacity depends on passenger schedules and route networks. During the pandemic, the sharp drop in passenger service slashed belly availability and pushed many shippers toward dedicated charters. While belly space works for routine consignments, chartering a freighter becomes essential when schedules don’t align, capacity is tight, or the shipment is outsized or time-critical.
Charter Broker
A charter broker acts as the matchmaker between shippers and aircraft operators. Brokers do not fly the airplanes themselves; instead, they leverage industry contacts to locate the right aircraft at the best rate, arrange permits and ground handling, and oversee the mission from contract signing through final delivery. Their expertise is particularly valuable for complex routings, special-handling cargo, or first-time charter users who need guidance through the process.
Dry Lease
In a dry lease, only the aircraft is rented—no crew, maintenance, or insurance included. The lessee operates the plane under its own Air Operator Certificate, assuming full operational control and responsibility for all ancillary services. Dry leases are usually long-term arrangements measured in years and are a common way for cargo carriers to expand fleets without outright purchase. They contrast with wet-lease or ACMI agreements, where the lessor also supplies crew, maintenance, and insurance for shorter, capacity-boosting periods.
Empty Leg
An empty leg—sometimes called a ferry or deadhead segment—occurs when a charter aircraft flies without paying cargo or passengers on board. This typically happens after a one-way job: the plane must reposition to its home base or to the next assignment, and it does so empty. Operators often market these return flights at reduced rates to offset the cost of fuel and crew. Shippers whose routes coincide with the repositioning path can secure significant savings by booking an empty-leg slot for their freight.
Oversized (Outsize) Cargo
Oversized cargo refers to freight that exceeds the dimensions or weight limits of standard airline containers and pallet positions. Industrial presses, construction vehicles, wind-turbine blades, and large aerospace structures all fall into this category. Moving such loads usually requires freighters equipped with nose-loading ramps or rear cargo doors—aircraft like the Antonov An-124 or Boeing 747F. Logisticians must verify runway length, loading equipment, and structural floor limits at each airport, and may need to crate or partially dismantle the cargo to meet aircraft tolerances.
Partial Charter
A partial charter allows several shippers to share space on the same aircraft when none of them can justify paying for the full lift alone. A broker may combine two or three compatible loads—say, half a 747 of automotive parts and half of electronics—so that each customer pays only for the capacity they use while still benefiting from the speed and direct routing of a dedicated freighter. This “split charter” model offers a cost-effective middle ground between scheduled services and sole-use aircraft charters.
