Air freight

Air freight means moving goods by aircraft between airports, with road transport to the departure airport and from the destination airport. It is the fastest way to cross a continent or an ocean, so air is chosen for urgent spare parts, valuable and compact goods, samples, pharmaceuticals, perishables and any cargo whose delay stops production.

Cargo flies either in the holds of passenger aircraft or on freighters, which take larger and heavier pieces. Major cities are linked by both, while remote airports are often served via a transfer at a hub. Airlines also cover some airport-to-airport legs by truck under the air waybill, known as road feeder service.

Air costs more than sea or road, and space on board is limited, so every kilogram and every centimeter counts. ETIKO organizes air freight from the shipper’s warehouse to the consignee’s: it chooses the flight and airline, checks that the cargo fits the size and regulatory limits, prepares the documents and coordinates customs clearance.

On board, cargo travels on unit load devices (ULDs): aircraft pallets with nets and containers shaped to the fuselage. They carry IATA codes, for example PMC or PAG for pallets and AKE (LD3) for a lower-deck container. The forwarder or the airline’s warehouse builds up the ULD so the cargo fills it tightly and stays within the permitted height and contour.

Air limits are stricter than on the ground:

• Door and deck size. The lower deck of a passenger aircraft takes smaller pieces than the main deck of a freighter, so every piece is measured before booking.
• Floor loading. A heavy piece with a small footprint needs spreader boards, otherwise it is refused.
• Piece weight. Very heavy pieces need a freighter and suitable loading equipment at both airports.
• Weight and balance. The airline plans ULD positions, and cargo can be moved to another flight if it does not fit the load plan.

Every consignment is security screened before loading under the standards of Annex 17 to ICAO’s Chicago Convention: by X-ray, explosive trace detection, physical search or detection dogs. The EU runs a secure supply chain: cargo from a known consignor approved by the appropriate authority, which applies the security controls itself, is not screened again by the regulated agent, provided it is protected from interference until loading. Cargo that cannot be X-rayed because of its size or density is screened another way, which takes extra time.

Dangerous goods travel under the ICAO Technical Instructions and the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) based on them. The shipper classifies the goods, packs them to the packing instruction, applies marks and hazard labels and signs the Shipper’s Declaration for Dangerous Goods. Some substances are permitted on freighters only, and the package then carries the Cargo Aircraft Only label.

• Lithium batteries are class 9: UN 3480 and UN 3481 for lithium-ion, UN 3090 and UN 3091 for lithium metal. Stand-alone lithium-ion batteries (UN 3480) are not carried on passenger aircraft.
• Explosives. Passenger aircraft accept only Division 1.4S; cargo aircraft also accept 1.3C, 1.3G, 1.4B, 1.4C, 1.4D, 1.4E and 1.4G. Everything else is forbidden except under state exemptions.
• Airline variations. Carriers file their own variations, stricter than the general rules, so cargo is checked against the specific airline.

• Chargeable weight and weight break of the shipment.
• Routing: direct flight or a hub transfer, freighter capacity on the lane.
• Aircraft type: whether the cargo fits a passenger aircraft’s lower deck or needs a freighter.
• Surcharges: fuel and security, terminal handling, air waybill fees.
• Special handling: dangerous, temperature-controlled, valuable cargo.
• Season and demand: at peak times space costs more and must be booked early.

The flight itself takes hours, but the overall time is set by booking, acceptance and screening, transfers, customs clearance and road legs at both ends. The lead time is confirmed once a specific flight is booked.

• Choosing the flight and airline for the size, weight, nature and timing of the cargo.
• Checking the cargo can fly: dimensions, floor loading, hazardous properties.
• Calculating chargeable weight and advising on packaging that reduces it.
• Consolidated shipments under a master air waybill.
• Charter of a full aircraft or part of one for large and urgent lots.
• Road transport to the departure airport and from the destination airport.
• Documents: air waybill, customs set, shipper’s declaration for dangerous goods.
• Customs clearance for export and import.
• Tracking of flights and transfers.

International rules

• The Montreal Convention 1999 governs air carrier liability; it has been in force for Ukraine since 5 May 2009. Liability is capped at a set number of SDR per kilogram, and ICAO reviews the limits periodically.
• ICAO Technical Instructions and IATA DGR for dangerous goods.
• Annex 17 to the Chicago Convention and national aviation security programmes; in the EU, Regulation (EU) 2015/1998.
• IATA ULD rules for building up pallets and containers.

Cargo requirements

• Dimensions and weight of each packed piece, accurate to the centimeter and kilogram.
• Packaging that withstands handling, stacking on a pallet and pressure changes.
• Marking on every piece: air waybill number, number of pieces, consignee address.
• For dangerous goods: classification, packing instruction, hazard labels, trained shipper staff.

Claim deadlines under the Montreal Convention

• Damage: in writing, immediately after discovery and no later than 14 days from receipt of the cargo.
• Delay: no later than 21 days from the date the cargo was placed at the consignee’s disposal.