Air Freight Forwarding: A Complete Guide for Importers and Exporters

Air freight forwarding is the coordination and management of goods transported internationally by air.
Depending on the service required, an international freight forwarder can arrange:

For businesses importing or exporting internationally, this provides a simpler way to manage the different stages involved in moving cargo.

An air freight forwarder coordinates the different organisations involved in moving your cargo.
For example, a UK importer purchasing goods from an overseas supplier may need collection from the supplier, transportation to the airport, airline capacity, export documentation, UK customs clearance and delivery to their warehouse.
Rather than arranging every stage independently, the freight forwarder can coordinate the shipment from origin to destination.
Intercargo provides international freight services covering air, sea, road, rail and courier freight alongside services including customs clearance, warehousing, project cargo and aircraft charter.

Speed is one of the biggest advantages of air freight forwarding. For businesses facing urgent stock requirements, production deadlines or customer commitments, reducing international transit times can be extremely valuable.

Air cargo networks connect major commercial centres around the world. Intercargo states that it is an IATA accredited agent with access to more than 100 airlines, including scheduled freighter and passenger aircraft capacity.

Some products lose commercial value when they arrive late. Seasonal inventory, manufacturing components, urgent replacement parts and high priority orders are examples where faster transportation may justify the additional cost of air freight.

Air freight doesn't have to mean airport to airport transportation. Road transportation can be combined with air freight so cargo is collected from the supplier, transported to the departure airport, flown internationally, cleared through customs and delivered to its final destination.

Air cargo capacity is limited by both weight and available space.
This means a large but lightweight shipment can still consume significant aircraft capacity.
Air freight pricing may therefore consider volumetric weight, also known as dimensional weight. The shipment's actual weight and calculated volumetric weight can be compared to establish the chargeable weight according to the applicable service.
Importers and exporters should provide accurate dimensions for every package alongside the gross weight when requesting a quotation.

Common documentation can include:

Accurate paperwork is particularly important when air freight has been selected because a shipment is urgent.

Customs clearance is an essential part of international air freight.
Importers and exporters may need to provide information including the description of the goods, commodity codes, value, country of origin and supporting documentation.
Preparing this information before cargo reaches the airport can help prevent avoidable delays.
Intercargo lists customs clearance among its freight services alongside its air, sea and road transportation options.

When choosing an air freight forwarding company, consider more than price.
Your forwarder should be able to support the origins and destinations you trade with, understand your cargo requirements, coordinate customs clearance and arrange collection and delivery where required.
Communication is equally important, particularly when dealing with time sensitive cargo.