Air Freight from China
Air freight services play an important role in delivering goods quickly, on time and efficiently. Whether it is electronic products, fashion goods, food, or pharmaceutical products, air freight from China can provide great convenience and security for your international logistics. Air freight generally takes 3 to 7 days to deliver your goods to the destination airport safely and quickly.
Bestlink Logistics is a top air freight forwarding company based in China, providing comprehensive air freight services to meet various logistics needs.
Our air freight services include:
- Direct and connecting flight options
- Fast customs clearance and customs clearance services
- Cargo tracking and timeliness guarantee
- Full insurance and risk management
Table of Contents
1. Prepare goods and documents
The first step of air freight is to prepare the goods and their related documents. Similar to sea freight, air freight also requires some basic documents to ensure the legality and smoothness of transportation:
- Commercial invoice: Lists the detailed information of the goods, including price, quantity and total value.
- Packing list: Provides the packaging of each batch of goods to ensure the smooth customs clearance of the goods.
- Air waybill (AWB): This is the core document of air freight, similar to the bill of lading of sea freight, proving that the goods have been delivered to the airline for transportation.
- Export license: Certain special goods, such as high-tech products, pharmaceuticals, etc., require relevant export licenses.
2. Communicate with freight forwarders
The next step of air freight is to contact freight forwarding companies to confirm flights and transportation costs. Freight forwarding companies will help you choose the right airlines, flights and transportation methods to ensure that the goods can be shipped on time and in accordance with regulations.
3. Customs declaration and customs clearance
Before air freight, you need to make an export declaration to the Chinese customs, submit relevant documents and pay the necessary taxes and fees. After arriving at the destination, the goods need to be cleared by the customs of the destination country. The customs clearance process may require some additional documents, such as import and export licenses, tariffs, etc., and the specific requirements vary according to different countries and regions.
4. Flight transportation and cargo tracking
During the air transportation process, the freight forwarding company will provide real-time tracking information of the goods to ensure that you can always understand the location and transportation status of the goods. The flight transportation time is relatively short, usually 1-7 days, depending on the route and destination.
5. Pickup and delivery
Once the goods arrive at the destination airport, customers can choose to pick up the goods themselves or use the destination freight forwarding company for delivery. If delivery is chosen, the freight forwarding company will be responsible for transporting the goods from the airport to the final destination, completing the entire air transportation process.
Why choose air freight from China?
Efficient and fast transportation method
The most striking feature of air transport is speed. In global logistics, air freight is undoubtedly the fastest mode of transportation, which can greatly shorten the transportation time of goods. Especially in the transportation of time-sensitive goods that require fast delivery, air freight has become the first choice for many companies. For example, medical equipment, electronic products, fashion goods, fresh food, etc. all need to be transported by air to ensure they arrive at their destination on time and avoid losses caused by delays.
Suitable for high-value and fragile goods
Unlike sea freight, air freight is very suitable for high-value, small-volume, and perishable goods. Due to the shorter transportation time, air freight can reduce the risk of goods during transportation and reduce the loss rate. In addition, air transport has higher safety requirements for goods, and the protection measures for goods during transportation are also stricter.
Wider route network
There are extensive air routes from China to all over the world, especially for major markets such as North America, Europe, and Asia, and almost all international airports have flight connections. Compared with sea transportation, air transportation has more flexible route selection, and flights can be adjusted according to needs to shorten transportation time.
Main international airports in China
Beijing Capital International Airport
- Cargo volume: 1.1 million tonnes (2023)
- Main trading partners: United States, Middle East countries, Europe, Japan
- Strategic Importance: As one of the busiest airports in the world, it has an extensive global network and is an important hub in North China.
- Distinguishing Features: State-of-the-art cargo facilities with dedicated international cargo terminal.
- Provides your business with: Robust infrastructure for seamless cargo handling, and an extensive network of trade routes to significantly speed up your shipping process.
Shanghai Pudong International Airport
- Cargo volume: 4.1 million tonnes (2023)
- Main trading partners: the United States, Middle East countries, Europe, Africa
- Strategic importance: As the main international gateway in East China, it is a central transit station for freight.
- Distinctive features: It has two parallel runways and an excellent cargo management system.
- For your business: Its state-of-the-art facilities and superior connectivity ensure timely delivery of your goods and increase your supply chain efficiency.
Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport
- Cargo volume: 2 million tonnes (2023)
- Main trading partners: United States, Middle East countries, Europe
- Strategic importance: As an important air transport gateway in South China, connecting more than 40 countries.
Distinguished Features: Provides advanced freight services, including electronic freight and cargo tracking. - For your business: Streamlined customs processes can streamline your export and import procedures, saving your company valuable time and resources.
Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport
- Cargo volume: 538,000 tons (2023)
- Main trading partners: Europe, Middle East, Africa
- Strategic importance: Serving as the main hub in Southwest China, connecting Chinese and Southeast Asian markets.
Distinguished Features: Integrated logistics services and temperature-controlled warehouse facilities. - For your business: Professional handling of sensitive cargo at the airport may be the best solution for transporting perishable goods or high-value luxury goods.
Hong Kong International Airport
- Cargo volume: 4.3 million tonnes (2023)
- Main trading partners: America, Europe, Africa, Middle East
- Strategic importance: As a global hub connecting China with international markets, it is the gateway to mainland China.
- Distinguished Features: Known for its fast cargo terminals and advanced cargo handling systems.
- For your business: With its vast network and efficient operations, airports can give your business faster access to global markets and ensure safer handling of your cargo.
Air freight transportation methods and selection
Direct flights VS connecting flights
When choosing air freight services, you need to decide whether to choose direct flights or connecting flights based on the urgency of the goods and your budget.
- Direct flights: For goods with high timeliness requirements, direct flights are the best choice. Although direct flights are more expensive, the transportation time of goods is the shortest and the risk is lower.
- Connecting flights: Connecting flights usually pass through multiple transit airports and are suitable for goods that are not so time-sensitive. The transportation cost of connecting flights is usually lower, but the transportation time is longer.
Dedicated Air freight VS General Air freight
- Dedicated air freight: refers to air freight services for specific routes, usually including regular flights, and the types of goods transported are relatively fixed. Dedicated air freight often provides better timeliness and reliability, especially for customers with bulk goods and frequent transportation.
- General air freight: suitable for diversified and scattered goods. General air freight has a higher flight frequency and greater flexibility, but there may be transfers between different airlines, resulting in fluctuations in transportation time and costs.
Composition of air freight costs
1. Air freight costs
Air freight costs are the main cost of air freight, which is usually calculated based on the weight and volume of the goods. There are two ways to calculate air freight costs: by actual weight and by volume weight. For heavier goods, the actual weight is usually charged; for larger but lighter goods, the volume weight is calculated.
2. Insurance costs
Although air freight is fast, there may still be risks during transportation. In order to ensure the safety of the goods, many customers will choose to purchase transportation insurance. The insurance cost is usually determined by the value of the goods and the transportation route.
3. Other additional costs
Air freight may also involve some other additional costs, such as:
- Fuel surcharge: Airlines may adjust freight rates based on fuel price fluctuations.
- Airport taxes: The destination airport will charge a certain amount of management fees.
- Customs clearance costs: including customs declaration, tariffs and other fees, the specific costs depend on the type of goods and the destination country.
How are air freight charges calculated using dimensional and gross weight?
When shipping freight, it’s important to understand the difference between gross and dimensional weight. Gross weight refers to the actual weight of the shipment, while dimensional weight (also known as dimensional weight) refers to the overall dimensions of the shipment.
To calculate the gross weight of an air freight shipment, we simply weigh the shipment, including any packaging or pallet used. Let’s say the package you’re shipping weighs 25 kilograms, which converts to about 55 pounds.
Calculating the dimensional weight of an air freight shipment, on the other hand, requires a little more work. Here, you’ll need to measure the length, width, and height of your shipment in centimeters, multiply those dimensions together, and then divide by 6,000 (the standard size factor for air freight shipments). Let’s say your shipment measures 40 cm x 30 cm x 20 cm. Therefore, the calculation is (40 x 30 x 20) / 6,000, which gives a dimensional weight of about 4 kilograms, or about 9 pounds.
Now, for Express Air, the calculation remains the same, but the standard size factor becomes 5,000. Using the same shipment dimensions as before, the dimensional weight becomes (40 x 30 x 20) / 5,000, which rounds up to 5 kg, or approximately 11 pounds.