How Fast is Air Freight Shipping?

The main advantage of air cargo transportation is speed. Once cargo arrives at an airport, it can generally reach anywhere in the world within 24 hours, which is much faster than the 14-18 day trip by sea from China to Los Angeles. Air freight is the ideal solution for moving goods quickly and safely, but it can be more costly than other modes of transport. Express air transport is usually managed by a company (such as DHL, UPS or FedEx) that manages the entire shipment lifecycle and delivers door-to-door shipments in less than five days.

Air cargo mode options include passenger aircraft, a passenger plane's cargo hold, or a commercial cargo plane. An average passenger aircraft can carry a cargo volume of 2 semitrailers, apart from the passengers on board. The automotive and retail industries also use air transport to replenish “just in time” (JIT) inventory. The JIT allows you to order based on demand, providing more flexibility and reducing inventory and warehousing costs.

Shipping packages on passenger planes is the most economical among other air cargo transportation options, while freight is the most expensive. Global importers and exporters use air cargo when they need to transport goods around the world quickly and reliably. While 90% of imports and exports are shipped by sea transport, air transport connects the world more quickly, reducing cargo shipping time between China and the US. From 20 to 30 days by sea to just three days by air cargo. Air cargo crossing the country may arrive at its destination within six to seven hours for essential services, while international shipping may take a little longer. While not all products need to be shipped by air, there are many use cases where it would be more appropriate to ship them by air transport.

In the event of interruptions and stops, goods can take up to a week or more to reach their destination. As the global economy continues to grow, buyers will continue to expect rapid transit of goods by air transport. Express air cargo shipments are usually smaller than air cargo (less than one cubic meter and 200 kilograms). Air transport is the fastest option for cargo traveling long distances, especially in the case of perishable products, such as flowers, food and pharmaceutical products. Transit time usually ranges from 24 to 48 hours.