The Essentials of Air freight

Around 1910 (over a century ago), air freight raced against other modes of shipping to see which method could deliver shipment faster, airfreight won the race and up till date no other shipping modes could deliver quicker than air freight.

Today, International shippers (importing or exporting) continue to rely on air freight to effectively process and deliver their international purchases / consignments.

Before we go into details as to how Air freight works, let me highlight some of the great benefits that Air freight provides to shippers and other businesses that rely on air freight as means of shipping.

Air Freight- Benefits of Air freight to shippers

Listed below are reasons why airfreight could be your best delivery option;

· Air freight will deliver quickly, and it is the fastest mode of shipping.

· Air freight is very reliable and can guarantee safety of your valuables.

· Air freight is an essential part of the multi-modal logistics solution.

· Air freight supports delivery of time-sensitive cargo.

· Air freight is used to deliver any weight from 1kg to full aircraft and / or chartered for large shipments

· Air freight delivers Food Supplements, food commodities, Agro-products, equipment, dangerous goods, merchandises, machines, and spare parts.

· Air freight will deliver human remains and animals.

· Air freight delivers personal effects for relocating diplomats, Government officials and individuals.

· Air freight is perfect for international parcel delivery- Request for a free quote.

Also READ: Our DHL International express delivery service. It offers discount shipping of about 20%.

Choose Air Freight Shipping for Nigerian Inbound Shipments (Must know)

Irrespective of whether you are importing from Asia, North America, Europe, Middle east or any other part of the World, Air freight might just be your best plug, in terms of speed and reliability.

The first activity for a shipper shipping via air freight service to Nigeria or from Nigeria to any other parts of the world is to;

· Contact air freight forwarder and receive free consultation service.

· Understand what class your commodities belong.

· Design and project a working budget.

· Get clarifications on the nature of goods.

· Evaluate your supplier in terms of logistics / packaging competencies.

· Understand how Air cargo operators charge for air freight shipping:

· Understand commodity HS codes before purchasing.

· Understand Incoterms

· Know Nigeria Customs prohibited items.

Familiarize yourself with Air freight knowledge before shipping

- Contact freight forwarder and receive free consultation service: This can be done via telephone chat or visitation for one-on-one meetings. It is important to be part of the process, especially if you are going to become a regular importer. You better jot down your questions before calling your freight shipping agent.

- Understand what class your commodities belong to: Are they general goods or dangerous goods? Some dangerous goods, including battery related articles cannot go on an airplane. It is good to know the classification of your goods. Check IATA for classes of dangerous goods.

- Know your budget: Relate your logistics / delivery budget with your freight forwarder / agent. Your agent is like your doctor. A reliable agent should be able to support your shipping budget. He cannot just do that if he is not aware of your needs. I love it when I experience doctor - patient relationship with our clients.

- Get clarifications on the nature of goods: This will help you during a chat with your supplier(s), in terms of origin packaging, transit and destination handling. I am sure you don’t like to fail. Me also. Nature of goods plays a major role in the success of your cargo delivery. This is because airlines, local and destination agencies charge on cargoes based of their nature.

- Evaluate your supplier in terms of logistics / packaging competencies: This means knowing whether your supplier can provide export papers as may be required by local authority. Also you need to check if the commodity is allowed for import into your country.

- Understand how Air cargo operators charge for freight shipping: Cargo weight, dimensions and / or volume measurement are among the factors that determine how air cargo plane operators and local aviation handling companies charge. This is fundamental for budgeting. We have seen a few starters who bought goods in large quantities and are unable to pay for freight from cargo origin. Some are unable to pay for customs clearing upon arrival in Nigeria.

- Understand commodity HS codes before purchasing (The Nigerian Example): Check with the customs website, type your commoditity description in the Advance search bar to know what percentage of customs duty you are to pay on your import(s). You may want to consider, adjusting your budget.

- Understand Incoterms: According to RTS International, Incoterms is the standardized terminology used by all companies doing international business. Specific terms or acronyms provide both carriers and buyers with clear rules, helping to avoid confusion about each party's responsibilities and cost management.

- Know Nigeria customs prohibited items: Whether you are shipping by air freight or sea freight, it is important to check Nigeria import prohibition list before deciding on what to import into Nigeria.

For Nigerian Businesses: Items you can Ship to Nigeria by air Freight

Below are the list of items that can be delivered by Air freight service from and to Nigeria.

· Equipment used in the Mining industry.

· Machine used in the factories for manufacturing.

· Pharmaceutical and medical machines and laboratory devices, including Scanners like MRI machine and MRI Helium gas.

· Oil & Gas equipment and parts (Mud tank, Shale shakers, Suction line (mud pump), Mud pump, Motor or power source, hose, Drawworks, Standpipe).

· Confectionaries for supermarkets

· Clothing and garments

· Palletized goods (machines / equipment / drugs / medicine)

· Foods and condiments.

· Personal effects and household goods.

· Diplomatic luggage and bags

· Human remains

· Cars. Others are Pipes, wires, cables, generators, Transformers, Flanges, Valves, Filters etc.

Cost of Air freight

On our home page,click on Global network, select the country you are shipping from to compare air freight shipping cost to Nigeria, via Lagos Airport

About the Author: Adetayo George-Adewoye is a freight broker and logistics About the Writer: Adetayo George-Adewoye is a freight broker and logistics processional. Adetayo introduced pre-shipment consulting services into the shipping industry in 2012. He has offered high-level consulting services to the medical / pharmaceutical sector, oil and gas multinationals, agricultural sector, Mining, and construction industry, manufacturer, and procurement experts. Adetayo George-Adewoye is an award winner in the field of logistics, a member of the Lagos Chamber of commerce and industry, lions club international and freight net logistics network.