Air Cargo is an amazing and fastest way of transferring goods from one destination to another. Air cargo transportation is also the preferred option for most of the commercial operators. Normally, air cargo transportation becomes the cost-effective and quick option for most businesses for international transfers.
These are the most reliable options for moving the products to major destinations from across the world. Based on a recent report, more than 35% of global trades are based on air cargo transportation. This transportation has a value worth more than $6.8 trillion annually.
What is air cargo?
Air cargo is the means of transporting the goods through the aircraft. These can be either the passenger aircraft cargo or even the cargo hold aircrafts. In the modern day, Air cargo has become a critical component in the global supply chain. This enables many businesses from across the world to move their goods quickly, even to longer distances.
Air cargo goods transport is helpful in making timely delivery to the destination. Aircraft used for air cargo use a wider fuselage when compared to passengers for increasing capacity.
These aircraft also have a greater number of wheels for acquiring the stability for carrying the goods. Modern logistics relies on air cargo as it plays a major role in the global economy. Transportation connects suppliers, manufacturers, and consumers.
Types of air cargo:
The significance of air cargo across the supply chain management has massively increased. These also offer unparalleled speed along with flexibility when compared to other modes of transport. Varied types of Air Cargo are available for goods transport from one place to another.
Below are some of the major types of air cargo shipments:
- General cargo:
General Cargo is the backbone of the Air Freight industry as it offers specialized attributes for transportation. General Cargo especially covers the range of goods and products.
This cargo can easily carry everything, such as electronics, clothing, medical supplies, machinery parts, and many more. This cargo involves varied items that do not require any specific handling or even storage while transporting.
Many businesses, retailers, and manufacturers have been mostly relying on this transportation mode. General Cargo transportation also involves strict restrictions and regulations for the nature of the items.
- Special cargo:
Special cargo is required forunique handling, storage, and transportation procedures. The Special cargo comes under the category that covers a range of items like sensitive equipment, art, pharmaceuticals, live stage entertainment props, and many more. There are also goods that require specialized care involving temperature controls, security measures, and many more.
Many numbers of industries, such as museums and galleries, event organizers, pharmaceutical companies, and many others, have been relying on specialized cargo transportation in Sweden. Special cargo services involve the well equipped method for handling these goods with stringent regulations.
- Hazardous cargo:
Dangerous or Hazardous Cargo category involves goods that possess potential safety, health, and even property risks on the transportation. The hazardous cargo items require special attention to ensure the safety of cargo aircraft. Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) are global standards involved in transporting dangerous or even hazardous cargo.
Normally, these types of cargo fall under the categories such as:
- Explosives
- Toxic and Infectious
- Flammable Solids
- Flammable Liquids
- Flammable Gasses
- Corrosives
- Oxidizing
- Radioactive
- Miscellaneous
Air cargo transportation involves unique regulations stipulating packaging, documentation requirements, and many others for handling and storing goods. Businesses dealing with pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and many other industries handling hazardous materials avails of this Hazardous Cargo freight service.
- Temperature controlled cargos:
Temperature-controlled cargo or goods are involved with frozen or refrigerated items. These can be food items or non-food products transported under certain temperatures.
Human and animal food items can be transported under this category. Non-food products such as medical care items, pharmaceuticals, and many others are involved. These commodities involve varied specific regulations and control on temperature which they are exposed to on transportation. For example,
- Perishable goods –Perishable goods involve foodstuffs such as dairy products, fresh fruits, vegetables, and many more. These can be plant material, cut flowers, and many more.
- Pharmaceutical cargo –Pharmaceutical cargo involves the transportation of drugs for varied medical purposes, such as antibiotics, vaccines, steroid hormones, human blood plasma fractions, and more. These drugs are transported in temperature-controlled storage.
- Life sciences products –Transportation of Life Sciences Products such as blood test samples, human organs, human tissue samples, and many others come under the category. These are regulated based on Pharmaceutical Cargo rules.
- High-value or fragile cargo goods:
High-Value or Fragile Cargo Goods are transported with extreme caution and care due to their fragile nature. Some of the Fragile Goods are laboratory materials, technological accessories, optical instruments, valuable collectibles, musical instruments, marble, glass items, tiles, porcelains, and many more. Fragile goods transport especially require having complete special storage along with solid packaging.
Some of the fragile cargo goods categories are:
- High-end electronics
- Fine art
- Delicate musical instruments
- Luxury goods
- Precious gems or metals
- Mail cargo:
The Mail Cargo category is essential for the postal and parcel delivery network across the world. Mail Cargo plays a major role in guaranteeing the delivery of Letters, Documents, and many other packages to the destination. Based on a recent report, Air freight has been handling more than 7.4 billion Packages and 328 billion Letters annually.
- Heavy weight and over dimensional freight cargo:
Various commodities are involved with the large weight and/or dimensions carried on the cargo aircraft. These also involve specialized supply chains such as oversized cargo compartments, special handling equipment, and nose/tail cargo ramps.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, air cargo transportation is a cheaper and ideal option for transporting goods. Dedicated aircraft accommodate such cargo with charter flights to reach the destination on time. Various types of air cargo transportation are available to transport the goods.
