International air cargo shipping: how to choose a carrier

Air cargo delivery is the fastest way of transportation, taking 1-3 days for express shipping and 5-14 days for standard shipping. The timeframes depend on the route, customs procedures, type of flight, and the need for land transportation of goods to the recipient by road. 

Cargo air transportation is effective when speed is more important than cost, especially for lightweight cargo, such as up to 5 kg. Are you faced with the need to find transport or an organizer for shipping by cargo plane and don’t know where to start? In this article, we will discuss the types of products that are profitable and can be sent by air, the stages of organizing delivery, pricing features, instructions for finding carriers, and using the functionality of the transport and logistics exchange.

What shippers need to know about transporting goods by plane

Air delivery is a complex process involving airlines, carriers, freight forwarders, and logisticians. The range of services provided by each may differ, including transportation, insurance, escort, booking space on flights, and delivery to the airport. When contacting a specific provider, be sure to clarify what they are obligated to perform. 
In terms of delivery speed and safety, air transportation wins compared to other methods of transportation. However, to avoid risks, it is important to carefully choose the company you plan to trust with your cargo. An updated list of requests with transport on the logistics exchange website com-stil.com will help you make the right choice. It is easier to find a reliable organization when there is something to compare.  

When air transportation of goods is advisable and profitable

Transporting products by plane is a way to overcome short and long distances, geographical barriers. Theoretically, all types of goods can be delivered by air, but it is not always the most cost-effective method of transportation. If the distance is several hundred kilometers, road transport is more economical than air transport. Similarly, for oversized, heavy, and inexpensive cargo. When time is not pressing, the optimal choice for them will be sea or rail transport.

Air freight is beneficial for:
●    perishable products — those that need to be delivered quickly while maintaining temperature and other conditions, such as medical supplies;
●    urgent cargo — when every day matters, air delivery is essential, for example, for scarce spare parts, prototypes of goods;
●    medium and small batches of goods — from 1-5 kg to 250 kg;
●    valuable cargo — risks of theft or loss are minimized when transported by air;
●    fragile items — the less time the product spends in transit, the lower the likelihood of damage.

Trust a reliable air freight organizer to ensure that you are presented with the best solution for the task at hand. Analyze and compare the conditions offered by several companies to avoid making a poor choice of provider. 
Categories of products for delivery by plane

Air transport allows for the transportation of various types, weights, and purposes of goods. Cargo planes transport the following types of cargo: 
●    Live — for example, reptiles, birds, animals.
●    General — no special transportation conditions are required for their delivery. For example, electronics, spare parts, para-pharmaceutical products, textiles. 
●    Oversized, heavy — exceeding standard norms in weight, height, length, or width. In the case of air freight, such goods require approval, special packaging, and need to be secured.
●    Valuable — jewelry, precious stones, exhibits, antiques, and others.
●    Temperature-sensitive, perishable — require adherence to a specific temperature range. This category includes flowers, medicines, certain cosmetics, food products with limited shelf life.

Dangerous goods can also be transported by plane, but only under strict safety rules and regulations.

Advantages and disadvantages of air cargo transportation

There is no perfect method of transportation; there are always pros and cons to consider. The strengths of air delivery include:
●    safety — risks of theft or damage are minimized;
●    high speed — cargo is in transit from a few days to a couple of weeks depending on the destination; 
●    minimization of storage costs — the faster the product reaches the recipient, the less time it spends in the warehouse, which results in significant savings;
●    global reach — the presence of a developed network of airports allows for sending and receiving cargo from different parts of the world. 
Air freight also has disadvantages — limitations on the volume and weight of cargo; high cost, dependence on weather conditions that can affect flight delays.
The cost of delivering cargo by plane depends on the route, distance, specifics, weight, dimensions of the goods; urgency of delivery, airline rates, and the involvement of additional services, such as insurance. The price is calculated individually for each shipment. 

Delivery of cargo by plane and stages of transportation

The process of transporting goods by air can be conditionally divided into stages: 
●    Preparing the product for shipment, gathering accompanying documentation. Clarify with the transport organizer the requirements for packaging, containers, and labeling according to the characteristics of the goods and the classes to which they belong. Preliminary consultation can be obtained from specialists on the COM-STIL website.
●    Delivery to the airport. This can be done by the sender independently or entrusted to the carrier.
●    Acceptance and registration of cargo. 
●    Loading goods onto the plane.
●    Flight. The cargo is delivered via a direct or transit route. 
●    Customs clearance of air cargo. This process occurs upon arrival in the destination country and includes document processing, payment of fees, and duties.
●    Transportation of products to the recipient. Delivery is made to the specified address or to a warehouse using road transport.

The transportation process can be tracked by the flight number, which adds transparency and confidence that the goods will arrive at the right place at the expected time.

Choosing a carrier or freight forwarder correctly using the transport exchange website

Air cargo delivery is beneficial when you need to transport valuable, urgent, and specific goods, but you should only trust reliable providers with the transportation. The functionality of the logistics exchange COM-STIL allows you to:
●    Search for requests with transport  — sort publications by countries, cities, airports of departure and arrival to reduce search time. 
●    Publish requests with cargo — post an unlimited number of offers, promote them in the list, and delete them when a provider is found. 
Combine both methods to find suitable transport faster. Don’t forget to check the company you plan to trust with your cargo, such as legal information, reviews, and financial stability. You can also obtain an insurance policy to eliminate risks, especially in the case of expensive cargo. 
Conclusion
Air cargo delivery is a responsible and complex process, so it should only be entrusted to reliable providers. Always consider as many candidates as possible when choosing a transport, logistics, or freight forwarding company. You can find requests with transport on the website com-stil.com. 
Thousands of offers from providers eliminate intermediaries and allow for direct agreements with transport organizers. This helps save money and deliver cargo promptly. Register and gain access to all requests and other opportunities on the site!

Urgent air cargo delivery guarantees the promptness of transportation and the safety of the cargo. Ground or sea delivery is associated with greater risks. Air transport is more reliable. The plane is the safest mode of transport in the world. Cargo shipments on board air transport are not exposed to negative factors associated with land or sea transport. In air delivery, only airport staff have access to the cargo. Moreover, the airport is one of the most secure facilities in the transport infrastructure.