The Pros and Cons of Air Freight

 

Benefits for Forwarders

The high degree of safety and security connected with air transportation is one of the primary advantages for logistics service providers. The apparent answer is that air freight is subject to stringent safety regulations. All aviation cargo must either be transported through a secure supply chain or be inspected at airports.

The purpose is to guarantee that no forbidden goods, such as semi-precious and valuable stones, explosive devices, or alcoholic drinks, are found in the shipment. Another advantage of air freight is that it has a short transit period, which helps to lessen the danger of products being destroyed, stolen, or spoilt.

Finally, because of the short travel durations, extra packing is typically not necessary with air freight. This saves money and time for forwarders when it comes to packing for marine shipping.

Consider the Drawbacks and Risks

The fact that there are weight and seizure restrictions is a huge disadvantage for service providers. Because of the restricted capacity compared to ships, the weight and size of goods that can be handled and transferred are limited. While cargo flights exclusively transport products, passenger planes also transport baggage, which is given more priority than cargo. Another drawback is that air freight is more expensive than ocean and land freight. For the same distance, air travel may cost up to ten times more than sea travel. According to World Bank estimates, sea travel is 16 times less costly than air travel.

This is due to the fact that land and sea transportation costs are determined by volume, but air freight costs are computed by weight. Bad weather may also cause airline cancellations and delays, which is a negative for logistics service providers.

This is due to navigation, vision, and aerodynamics-related variables. Air travel also adds to pollution, and it has a greater detrimental effect than land and marine transportation. The reason for this is because airlines often utilize older cargo aircraft to transport cargoes that are more polluting than newer ones. Finally, air transportation is not the greatest means of transportation for big items such as automobiles, machines, and gear, which are often delivered by sea.