Pros and cons of air freight transport

There are several ways of transport. People have always relied more on land and sea transport. In addition to these two, you can also choose air freight transport. If you have never had experience sending your goods by plane, maybe you should try it out. However, just like with any mode of transport, there are pros and cons that you should be aware of. For this reason, you should inform yourself before sending your items via air.

Pros of Air Freight Transport

It is always better to start with good news. For this reason, here are the advantages.

• Global Reach
• Faster delivery
• Tracking system
• Reliability
• Low risk

Global range

The biggest advantage of air freight transport is its global reach. You can send your belongings everywhere you want. Land transport and sea transport have their limit since trucks cannot drive on the water nor ships can sail on the land. However, airplanes can fly over everything. You can receive products all from China and they will arrive in a fairly short amount of time.

Faster delivery

If you need to move your goods quickly, then air freight transport is your best choice. Depending on an air freight company, you can expect your package to arrive within the few days from the other part of the globe. For example, if you are moving your family to Maui, you are bound to forget some important things back home. The fastest solution is to have it shipped by using air freight transport. However, if you decide to ship your goods via sea transport, then you will have to wait at least 4 weeks.

Track your shipment

If you want to see where your items are every moment, then choose air freight transport. You will receive your tracking number once you pay for the shipping. With that number, you can check the status of your package and its location. It comes in handy if your shipment is running late since you can see where the problem has occurred. It is always good to hire professional packing and unpacking services for your items in order to deliver them in one piece.

Reliability of air freight transport

Transporting your items via air freight companies is more reliable than any other mode of transport currently available. According to statistics, there has been less than 15 percent of the late arrival. In addition to this, only 2 percent of flights have been canceled. Therefore, when you take all of this into account, there is a high chance you will get your package on time. This a huge advantage when you compare it with sea transport. The shipping date varies since it is hard to know the exact loading and unloading time in ports.

Low risk of your goods being spoiled or stolen

Shipping perishable food can be tricky since they can spoil get spoiled quite easy. For this reason, you should opt for air freight transport. Because of the fast delivery, this would be the best choice for you. Your food does not have to spend too much time in the storage units since the delivery time is short. In addition to this, your items will be safer if you ship them by plane. The reason is airport security. Although there are cases where your goods might get lost between the flights, it is still better than other methods of transport. Because of all these aspects, insurance cost is usually 10 to 30 percent cheaper.

Cons of Air Freight Transport

As you could see, there are many advantages to air freight transport. However, not everything is so amazing since there are some disadvantages to this mode of transport.

• Cost
• Weather dependent
• Size and weight limitations

Cost of transport

Since air freight transport is fast, it is also expensive. If you want to have your items within a few days, you will have to pay for it. Even if the distance is the same, air freight transport costs more than any other mode of transport. This is because land and sea freight companies calculate the volume while air freight companies use weight. The price depends on where you wish to ship your items. Domestic air freight is more expensive than the international one. You can always try to determine shipping costs on your own before the transport.

Weather dependent

Remember those 2 percent of canceled flights due to weather conditions? Now, they can represent a problem. Although every mode of transport is subjected to the weather condition, it is still a disadvantage. A couple of days of delay should not be catastrophic, but in some cases, they are not welcomed. This especially applies if the date of delivery is of great importance. Luckily, this does not happen too often.

Size and weight limitation

Last disadvantage of air freight transport is related to size and weight limitation. As you know, planes are not as big as ship nor they can carry as much weight. Because of this, some items cannot be shipped via air. For example, the world’s biggest airplane can lift 250 tons while the huge ship can carry more than 190,000 tons. For this reason, you should look for different options for shipping heavy items.

Air freight transport

As with any mode of transport, air freight transport has its own pros and cons. If you need to ship or to receive something quickly, then this would be the perfect solution for you. In addition to this, perishable food and valuable items should be transported via air since it is the safest choice. However, all these advantages are not cheap, which means you will have to pay more for them. Some flights may get delayed or canceled since you cannot control weather conditions. In the end, it is your decision on how you will ship your items.