Air Transport

The air freight and cargo elements

The dispatcher performs operations with its own resources or through hiring an agent. However, the degree of complexity that reach these activities today is such that the intervention of companies specialized in air freight is almost inevitable. Once the goods arrive at the terminal, documentation is reviewed by the customs authorities and all administrative procedures are correct, handling agents, come into play, who handle and load the goods from the terminal to the aircraft cellar.

This is only part of the whole process of the air freight commercial activity, which has the continuing need to minimize the complexity of its processes. For instance, since the late 70s, the IATA published a standardization program for cargo ítems with the aim of obtaining equipment that would reduce loading and unloading times, resulting in lower costs. This document led to the grouping of goods similar to those in shipping containers higher units of goods.
As cargo items we mean the devices used to secure cargo in the aircraft hold.

There are two types: the fasteners (Tie Down Equipment) and unit load elements or ULD (Unit Load Devices). To see the different kinds of ULD, you can visit the section dedicated to air containers. Note that the measurement unit for air freight is the FTK or freight tonne-kilometer, ie, tons of cargo transported per kilometer. So to speak, is the equivalent of TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit) in the carriage of goods. A TEU is the standard maximum capacity of 20 ‘(20 feet). Both measurement units, TEUs FTK and serve as reference to evaluate market developments figures freight at certain times, routes and countries.