| Air freight carriers are companies or airlines which are | | | | aircraft, depending upon the goods, the quantity (or |
| used to ship goods over long distances in a short | | | | weight) and the destination. Commonly used aircraft |
| amount of time. Freight carriers may be part of a | | | | may include ATRs, Boeing 707, 747-200F & 727, |
| passenger airline or dedicated a dedicated cargo | | | | Douglas DC-8, DC-10, MD-11, Ilyushin Il-76 and even |
| airline. Such Freight carriers may also be dedicated | | | | some 60-year-old Douglas DC-3s. The largest built |
| transportation logistics companies like Fed-Ex who | | | | cargo planes in use today are the USAF's C-5 Galaxy |
| have a cargo airline and a business and logistics | | | | and the Russian Antonov AN-225. |
| system to support end to end delivery as well. | | | | Freight forwarding services |
| Air freight or cargo airlines | | | | Freight forwarding companies; act as intermediaries |
| Cargo/ air freight is a service used by many | | | | between clients who wish to ship goods and |
| companies all over the world everyday for | | | | transportation companies who actually transport the |
| multinational import and export. Air freight services | | | | goods; these companies usually have a vast list of |
| are professional logistics support businesses which | | | | transportation services with home they have |
| manage the handling and transportation of goods and | | | | established business relationships and as third-party |
| raw material. Today, airfreight businesses handle any | | | | logistics companies, provide clients the benefits of |
| kind of shipment, domestic or international, to any | | | | their expertise in handling all transportation related |
| destination anywhere in the world provided there are | | | | issues. |
| no legal barriers to the transportation of the goods in | | | | International shipments from one destination to |
| question. | | | | another usually involve using a system of multiple |
| Modern airfreight services provide customs support | | | | carriers and attention to transportation requirements |
| (clearance agents all over the world) for the quick | | | | and legalities (bills or lading, customs documentation, |
| clearance of goods while also combining other | | | | clearance and insurance). A freight forwarding service |
| transportation methods (like trucks or cargo ships) | | | | handles these details for their clients, managing the |
| for end to end delivery in order to combine services | | | | entire logistics of a shipment, relieving a burden that |
| and cut costs all round for themselves and therefore | | | | would otherwise be handled by the business/ |
| for their clients. Many such cargo carrying companies | | | | producer making the shipment. |
| also provide the option for expedited shipment | | | | These companies guarantee the delivery of the |
| (express delivery) to most parts of the world. | | | | product to a destination by the contracted (agreed |
| There are three forms of air cargo transportation. | | | | upon) delivery date, and negotiate the best price to |
| Passenger airline freight (smaller goods carried on | | | | move the goods via the most economical route by |
| commercial passenger flights), dedicated cargo airlines | | | | working out various bids and choosing the one that |
| using cargo planes, and super cargo planes used for | | | | best balances speed, cost and reliability; often |
| specialized transportation (for instance machinery, | | | | providing their clients with options on various |
| other aircraft and any other such heavy goods). | | | | packages which might best suit their needs |
| Air freight transportation companies use a variety of | | | | accordingly. |