Air cargo charter is the type of cargo transfer by aircraft when a whole aircraft is booked by one client for the transportation only of his goods. It differs from air flight shipments that are made with goods from multiple clients and that are performed by a certain route and time schedule. Air cargo charter can be organised and performed on any route and according to the desired schedule to suite the best. Such cargo transfer service is fully customizable to suit the needs to transfer sensitive, high-value or outsized goods and reach certain locations fast or be delivered to remote locations. This approach grants businesses, governments or NGOs more control over their air cargo, mitigating restrictions and delays.
Typically, air carriers use high-capacity freighter aircraft for economies of scale, designed to carry maximum cargo safely. However, due to current high demand, empty passenger aircraft are also used for suitable shipments, with goods placed on passenger seats, known as “preighters.” Nevertheless, brokers usually aim to provide cargo-specific aircraft and will specify any variations to ensure transparency.