Air Freight International Removals

Many of our customers need specific items quickly when they move. This is especially relevant for those destinations with long port-to-port sailing times, such as Australia (30-50 days), New Zealand (35-52 days), and the west coast of America (23-30 days). In that case airfreight is the only option.

Why Airfreight?

Airline flight allowances are not generous, and many customers prefer to send urgently-needed items such as additional clothing, children’s toys, baby’s cot, office equipment, paperwork and so forth by airfreight. Remember that although airfreight is cost-efficient for smaller volumes, sending larger consignments can become very expensive.

Transit Times

You must still allow up to two weeks’ transit time from collection to delivery. This is because only certain airlines carry commercial cargo in the holds of their aircraft, and the need for a thorough Customs clearance in the UK and at all destinations. If the consignment is pulled by customs at its destination, the transit period could be longer.

Security Requirements

Airfreight must be professionally packed – no owner-packed items are permitted for security clearance. No aerosols, liquids, ammunition or other restricted items are allowed – please refer to our guidance on unaccompanied baggage regulations for further information. The consignment will be X-ray scanned in the UK before being loaded into the Air-Igloos, and on receipt at destination. Should any restricted item be found, the shipment could be returned or opened and inspected, and fines levied.

Airfreight Packing Services

 Your possessions are packed into robust Atlantic cartons, then placed into a tri-wall outer air-module, which has a pallet base to keep all packages together and protected. The pallet base is important to allow the airline to move the case easily, and to avoid mis-handling.

The module is then over-wrapped in waterproof bubble-wrap, security banded to the pallet and taped. The customer’s name, destination and reference is listed for easy reference and logging. For added protection of very fragile items a wooden frame or crate can be incorporated if desired, although this is not normally necessary. A double airfreight module is used for larger consignments.

Larger volumes can be shipped by airfreight – we have shipped full households and even cars overseas by airfreight – should the need arise.

Volumetric Weight

Airlines will charge on either the weight or the size of the consignment, whichever is the greater. For example, a tonne of feathers has a very large volume but a tonne of lead is relatively small. As a rough guide, two medium suitcase-sized cartons would have an airline chargeable weight of approximately 40 kilograms (unless the actual weight of the cartons was greater than 40 kilograms).

If you would like any further information or advice about airfreight, please ask your Move Manager.