Plan around cut-offs,
not guesses.

How schedules work in air cargo

Cargo travels on scheduled passenger flights (in the belly of the aircraft), on scheduled freighters and on charters. Frequencies vary by route, by day of the week and by season, and carriers change them regularly — which is why we confirm current options for your lane when you ask for a quote, rather than publishing a timetable that would soon be out of date.

The four times that matter

• Ready date — when the goods are packed, labelled and documented.
• Cut-off — the latest time the airline or its handler accepts the cargo for a given flight. It is set by the carrier and the airport, and differs by cargo type.
• Departure and arrival — the flight itself, including any connection that adds time on the ground.
• Release — when customs clears the goods and the consignee can collect them.

Planning tips

• Work backwards from the date the goods must be received.
• Allow extra time for dangerous goods, perishables and anything needing permits.
• Ask about direct versus connecting routings; direct is faster but not always available.
• Check public holidays and weekends at origin and destination.