Air Cargo And Air Express: What’s The Difference?

Because the main means of transport is airplane, many customers still do not understand the difference in transporting goods by Air Cargo (transportation by air) and Air Express (express delivery).

So in the article  “Air Cargo And Air Express: What Is The Difference?” , Faculty of Logistics – International Trade will present in detail the characteristics of these forms, and list the similarities and differences of these two types with practical examples.

Please join the Faculty of Logistics – International Trade to take a look at the following article to learn more useful information!

Shipping by Air Cargo

Transporting by air Air Cargo is understood as transferring goods by means of airplane from one country to another according to customer needs. Air Freight will be the perfect choice for businesses that need to transport goods quickly – especially.

These include goods that need to be transported in a timely manner, a high level of security when controlled at the airport, and the management of goods entering and leaving certain areas. In addition to this method of transportation by air, there are also methods of transportation by road, sea and rail which are also the most popular forms of transporting goods today. Depending on the customer’s needs, they will choose the method that suits their package.

Air Cargo cargo transportation stands out with outstanding advantages such as: outstanding speed, safety of goods during transport, but the cost per time of transporting an order is quite high so it is only suitable for goods have high value and have urgent time requirements such as:

• Perishable goods such as food, fruits, frozen foods, etc.
• All types of letters, documents, postal parcels, express parcels.
• Pharmaceuticals or functional foods.

Express delivery (Air Express)

Air Express is a form of transportation through global express delivery companies such as DHL, UPS, FEDEX AND TNT… Goods sent must be packed in cartons, not in bags or foam boxes. Shipping costs are high so they usually apply to packages under 100kg.

Similarities between Air Cargo and Air Express shipping

– Both are forms of transporting goods abroad by air.

– Fast delivery speed, shortening shipping time compared to shipping by sea.

– Highest safety among transportation methods.

– Shipping insurance premiums are lower due to less risk than other methods.

Differences between Air Cargo and Air Express shipping

Air Cargo	Air Express
It is a form of transportation coordinated by a shipping company and an airline	A form of shipping through global express delivery companies such as DHL, UPS, FEDEX, TNT…
Usually applies to packages larger than 100kg	The minimum number of kilograms for express delivery is 0.5kg, so it should be applied to shipments with a total weight of less than 100kg.
Outbound goods are packed into sacks or cartons	Goods sent must be packed in cartons, not in bags or foam boxes…
Shipping costs are cheaper than air express shipping	Shipping costs are high so they usually apply to packages under 100kg
There is no specific tracking number for each package, but only the booking number for the entire shipment and the house bill of lading number. → Therefore, customers cannot track the status of their shipment themselves and must go through it. Shipping company.	There is a tracking number to track the shipment status
Which country the goods are sent to depends on the airline’s flights to that country. Occasionally there are delays or load cuts.	There are cargo flights every day

Difference between Air Cargo and Air Express

Examples of air and express shipment descriptions

• Lot 1:

SN Company imported 25 packages of garment accessories by air from Hong Kong to Tan Son Nhat airport. The following image depicts the date and time the goods were sent to the airport, the departure time from Hong Kong and the time the plane landed at Tan Son Nhat airport. Specifically, the goods arrived at the cargo terminal on the evening of May 8, departed from Hong Kong in the early morning of May 9, and arrived at Tan Son Nhat airport at about 5:30 a.m. on May 9.

The airline used in the example is Cathay Pacific Airways

• Lot 2: 

Company A sends a parcel containing the original bill of lading documents to Company B in Brazil. Based on the image, the set of documents was received by Fedex staff on April 26 and on May 2, the set of documents was delivered to the representative of Company B.