What Are the Methods of International Air Transport?

Air transport mainly includes scheduled airline transport, charter transport, consolidation and air express. Here is a short introduction to each.

1. Scheduled Airline — aircraft with fixed departure times, routes and stops. Usually mixed passenger-cargo aircraft with smaller holds and higher rates, but the fixed schedule suits fresh or urgently needed goods.

2. Chartered Carrier — the airline rents an entire aircraft on agreed terms and rates to one or more charterers (shippers or air freight forwarders), carrying goods from one or several airports to a designated destination. Suitable for bulk cargo, with lower rates than scheduled flights but longer transit.

3. Consolidation — using scheduled or charter flights, the forwarder combines several separate shipments into one consignment under a single master waybill to one destination, where a local agent distributes them to the actual consignees. This lowers freight cost and is a core business of air forwarders.

4. Urgent Express — currently the fastest mode in air transport, operated by specialist departments together with airlines to deliver urgent items in the quickest way.