When might air travel be the best option?
Air transport is an international cargo transportation option whose main attraction is the speed with which products can be delivered. There are certain goods that benefit even more from the use of this mode. In this article, you’ll learn more about how air cargo is shipped and the advantages of this type of operation.
Why choose air transport for importing and exporting goods?
Understanding the best way to transport goods is a subjective matter, which means it all depends on the type of material and its added value. Also influential are the physical characteristics of the product to be shipped and the deadline set for receiving the goods in the import or export process. Cargo transportation using air freight has an approximate transit time of 7 to 10 days. This varies, of course, depending on the route, the airports involved and the goods. Even with this small variation, it is a much faster time when compared to other forms of transportation, especially maritime. This is why air freight is usually the best choice for products with higher added value or smaller weights and measures. In addition, air freight is chosen for cargo that requires greater urgency or is more delicate and requires greater care in transportation.
Source: https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/top-view-plane-boxes_33752556.htm
Advantages of air transport
Above we mentioned some of the situations and types of products that best fit into an air shipment. Now we’ll talk in more detail about the main advantages of this type of mode.
Less waiting time
The transit time of goods in air freight is undoubtedly the most attractive of all the advantages of this type of cargo transportation. This is even more evident when it comes to products with a high commercial turnover, but with a smaller volume or weight. For certain types of cargo, the containers used in sea shipments are too large; on the other hand, shipments in the consolidated container option have a longer transit time. As a result, receiving the products takes longer and may not meet the company’s needs. Examples of products include spare parts, medicines, perishables, perfumery, decorative items and other high-value cargo.
More care when handling sensitive cargo
Due to the different packaging of products in air shipments, greater care can be taken with cargo that requires more careful transportation. When transporting cargo by air, it is indicated on the outside of the package that the cargo in question is fragile and therefore requires extra care.
How much will my air operation cost?
The cost of freight in an air operation is higher than when transporting cargo by sea. However, this initially higher cost is reflected in an advantage at the end of the operation. With a shorter transit time, the product will tend to arrive on time, thus avoiding additional costs such as the impossibility of using machinery due to a lack of a maintenance part, for example. Another type of cost reduction that the air modal allows is a shorter storage time and the absence of container demurrage charges.
Source: https://www.freepik.com/free-ai-image/transport-logistics-concept_204454239.htm It’s important to bear in mind that when calculating the value of freight, you must include the cost of additional taxes or tariffs in addition to the freight rate itself. Likewise, in the final costs of the product, you must take into account the amount of tax paid during customs clearance in the case of an air import.
What are the main challenges of importing and exporting by air?
Air freight, like any other mode of international cargo transportation, faces challenges. Among them is the price charged for this type of transportation, which is higher than for sea freight. Another important challenge is limited physical space. After all, airplanes can hold a smaller amount of products than other types of transportation. And although air cargo transportation is a great solution, especially for cargo with smaller weights and dimensions, there are products that cannot be transported in this mode. This is the case with high-powered lithium batteries, for example.
The characteristics of this product make it a dangerous product. This often makes it impossible to transport them by air due to existing safety regulations.
How does an air import clear customs?
A common question is how customs clearance of an air import takes place.
In general, it is similar to a maritime process. However, there are some important differences.
The first is that the air waybill is known as the Air Waybill (AWB).
Another difference is the original documentation for the process. Due to the agility of this mode, the original documents are handed over to the airline. It is therefore common to use the expression that “documents go with the load”.
As soon as it arrives at the Brazilian airport, the presence of cargo is granted through the Federal Revenue Service’s system called Control and Cargo and Transit (CCT).
Once presence has been granted, registration takes place just like in a maritime process, i.e. the import declaration (DI or DUIMP, as the case may be) is registered and then we wait for the parameterization, and then the cargo is released and loaded.
Línea’s experts coordinate your flight from start to finish
Air freight transportation can be an excellent option to make the process more agile and receive cargo with a shorter transit time. This is especially true for cargo with more delicate characteristics or with greater urgency in receiving it.
In order for you and your company to benefit from all the advantages of importing and exporting by air, it is essential to have partners with experience in this type of operation.
Línea is a freight forwarder with this experience. Count on us to bring your air shipments quickly, competently and at competitive prices.
