When planning freight, businesses can face a difficult trade-off: sea freight is too slow, rail infrastructure does not serve the destination effectively, road transport is not feasible, and express air freight is too expensive. When you need the cargo faster but the other modes do not meet the requirement, standard air freight can provide the right balance.
Our team helps ensure that goods from locations around the world reach your specified destination within an efficient and commercially reasonable timeframe.
What is standard air freight?
Standard air freight is conventional cargo transport on freighter or passenger aircraft, often using a cargo-consolidation model.
This means your shipment can be combined with cargo from other shippers travelling in the same direction. The model maintains relatively fast delivery while sharing transport capacity and reducing cost compared with urgent dedicated handling.
Because of consolidation and possible connecting flights, standard air freight takes somewhat longer. Typical transit may be around 3–7 days depending on route and handling requirements.
Process
1. Cargo and deadline assessment
We assess cargo dimensions, weight, destination and deadline to select a commercially sensible standard air-freight option.
2. Consolidation and flight selection
A suitable flight is selected and, where beneficial, the cargo is planned together with other shipments travelling in the same direction.
3. Collection and preparation
The cargo is collected from the shipper, prepared for air transport and delivered to the departure airport.
4. Air transport
After security and documentation procedures are completed, the cargo travels on the planned direct or connecting flight.
5. Import and delivery
At the destination airport, the required formalities are completed and the cargo is delivered by local transport to the final consignee.
Cargo and deadline assessment
Cargo collection and preparation
Import and delivery
Route selection
Air transport
- 1
Cargo and deadline assessment
- 2
Route selection
- 3
Cargo collection and preparation
- 4
Air transport
- 5
Import and delivery
Advantages
Although the word ‘standard’ may sound basic, this air-freight option provides several useful advantages:
Balanced option
It costs more than sea or rail transport, but it can deliver the cargo many times faster, making it useful when time has a clear commercial value.
Predictability
Airlines operate to structured schedules, which generally makes planning precise and predictable, subject to operational or weather disruption.
Security
Airports apply strict security procedures, and standardised processes can help cargo move efficiently through the air-transport chain.
How does standard air freight differ from express?
When choosing air freight, it is important to select the service level that matches your business needs:
| Kriterijus | Skubus | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Time | 1–3 days | 3–7 days |
| Pricing | Highest-cost air-freight option | More economical because capacity and costs can be shared through consolidation |
FAQ
Consolidation is the process of combining smaller shipments from several shippers travelling in the same direction into one cargo lot at a consolidation warehouse. This helps use aircraft capacity efficiently and share transport costs, making it more economical than moving each small shipment separately.
If your cargo is urgent enough that sea freight, for example 40–50 days from China on some routes, is too slow but your budget does not justify express air freight, standard air freight can be a strong option. Typical delivery is around 3–7 days and the price is generally more favourable than Express service.
Airlines calculate the freight charge using the higher of two figures: the actual gross weight of the cargo in kilograms or its volumetric weight. Because aircraft space is limited, light but bulky shipments can occupy significant capacity. A common volumetric-weight formula is Length (cm) × Width (cm) × Height (cm) / 6000 or / 5000, depending on the carrier's tariff rules.
Yes. Air shipments are assigned an Air Waybill (AWB) number. Depending on the airline and route, this number can be used to track key shipment milestones such as cargo acceptance, departure, transfer and arrival at the destination terminal.
