Air Freight Glossary: 80+ Terms Explained

This air freight glossary lists more than eighty terms used daily by forwarders, carriers and ground handlers. It complements our guides on what air freight is, who regulates air cargo and cargo aircraft dimensions. Methodological reference: IATA publications (DGR, TACT, operational standards). Figures and surcharge codes evolve each season; always validate against the latest airline conditions of carriage and the applicable TACT issue. The consultants at Private Jets Connect analyze the key aspects of this topic.

Use the table as a map: documentation drives liability and tracking; stakeholders execute ground handling and sales; security rules gate acceptance; network design decides whether you need interline, transshipment or a non-stop freighter.

A

ACMI

(Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, Insurance) wet-style supply of aircraft and crew; fuel and variable costs often sit with the customer.

AOC

Air Operator Certificate: state approval to run commercial flights safely.

ATA

Legacy Air Transport Association reference; modern cargo standards are driven primarily by IATA.

AOG

Aircraft on Ground: aircraft stopped for a missing critical part; express or charter air cargo often delivers the part.

AWB (Air Waybill)

Non-negotiable air waybill evidencing the contract of carriage between shipper, forwarder and airline.

AVSEC

Aviation Security: screening, access control and approved programmes applied to cargo as well as passengers.

B

Belly Cargo

Cargo in the lower deck of passenger aircraft alongside bags; a major share of global capacity.

Bonded Warehouse

Customs-supervised storage where duties may be suspended until clearance or re-export.

Break Bulk

Unpacking a consolidated shipment for final distribution or downstream builds.

BSA

Block Space Agreement: recurrent capacity purchase on scheduled flights at negotiated terms.

BUP

Built-Up: shipment built on a pallet or in a ready-to-load configuration, often by the forwarder.

Broker (cargo)

Intermediary structuring charter or multimodal routings via a carrier network; see our cargo booking page.

C

CASS

Cargo Accounts Settlement System: IATA settlement system between airlines and agents for interline cargo sales.

CEIV

IATA excellence programme (Pharma, Fresh, Live Animals) proving chain quality.

Charter (cargo)

Dedicated aircraft capacity (full or part charter) for one or more flights.

CMR

Road convention for international truck moves; relevant when RFS connects to the air leg.

COMAT

Company Material: airline-owned items (spares, manuals) moved as internal cargo.

Consolidation

Groupage of several shippers into one ULD or under one MAWB to share cost and fill capacity.

Chargeable weight

Billing weight: the higher of actual weight and volumetric weight, per tariff rules.

CORSIA

ICAO carbon offsetting scheme for international aviation emissions growth.

CTO

Cargo Terminal Operator: operator receiving, sorting, storing and preparing freight.

CTK

Cargo Tonne-Kilometre: traffic metric (tonnes × distance) for market and network analysis.

Customs Broker

Licensed party filing declarations and representing importer/exporter.

D

DAP / DDP

Incoterms: DAP delivers at named place without import clearance for seller beyond unloading; DDP includes duties/taxes to destination.

DGR

Dangerous Goods Regulations: IATA rules for dangerous goods packaging, marking and documentation. Shippers must classify goods to the correct UN number, apply the right packing instruction, complete the Shipper’s Declaration where required, and respect operator variations. Training certificates for staff handling DGR shipments are mandatory under national law.

Dry Lease

Lease of the airframe without crew/ops insurance; operator must hold an AOC or partner with one. Common in fleet planning when an airline wants metal without embedding another carrier’s crews.

E

e-AWB

Electronic air waybill replacing or accompanying paper for faster data exchange.

EASA

European Union Aviation Safety Agency: EU safety regulator for operators and much of MRO oversight.

ETD / ETA

Estimated Time of Departure / Arrival: operational times used in tracking.

Express

Integrated network product (pickup–flight–delivery) with short transit and end-to-end visibility.

F

FAA

Federal Aviation Administration: US civil aviation authority influencing approvals and equipment rules.

FCA

Free Carrier: seller delivers to the carrier named by buyer at an agreed place (often cargo terminal).

FCL

Full Container Load: maritime term; in multimodal contexts may describe a full equipment move feeding air.

Feeder

Short sector feeding a hub for long-haul connections; turboprop or narrow-body.

FOB

Free on Board (maritime legacy); air teams often prefer FCA or CPT/CIP for clarity.

Forwarder

Freight forwarder organising carriage under MAWB or consolidations.

Freighter

Dedicated freighter with main-deck cargo capability vs passenger belly. Payload and door dimensions vary widely by type—see the cargo aircraft dimensions guide for 777F, 747-8F, A330F and turboprop feeders.

FSC

Fuel Surcharge: fuel add-on indexed to jet fuel movements. Carriers publish monthly updates; forwarders quote all-in rates or split base + FSC for transparency.

G

GHA

Ground Handling Agent: ramp/terminal handling (ULD, warehouse) for the airline.

Ground Handling

Turnaround tasks: acceptance, ULD build, loading.

GSA

General Sales Agent: sells cargo (or passenger) capacity for an airline in a territory.

H

HAWB

House Air Waybill: forwarder-issued document per house shipment under a master.

Hub

Connection airport optimising banks and slots for long-haul cargo.

I

IATA

International Air Transport Association: publishes DGR, TACT, ULD standards and CEIV.

ICAO

UN agency; global framework (Annexes) implemented via EASA, FAA and states.

Incoterms

ICC rules allocating cost/risk between seller and buyer alongside the carriage contract.

Interline

Airline agreements to connect shipments across carriers with aligned documentation. Interline cargo relies on MAWB messaging, settlement via CASS where applicable, and agreed handling standards at the transfer station.

J

JIT

Just In Time: tightly timed supply flows where air freight supports synchronised production or retail.

K

KC (Known Consignor)

EU/UK approved shipper security status reducing duplicate checks (distinct from US Known Shipper programmes).

Known Shipper

Security status (notably US TSA context) easing acceptance on certain flows.

L

LCL

Less than Container Load: maritime groupage concept; in multimodal chains, partial loads before air build.

Load Factor

Fill of capacity (passenger or cargo tonne-km); key yield driver.

LTA

Air waybill in civil-law wording; contractual backbone like AWB.

M

MAWB

Master Air Waybill: airline-issued master for the whole consignment, including consolidations.

MRO

Maintenance, Repair, Overhaul: aviation maintenance; urgent spares often move by air.

N

NOTAM

Notice to Airmen: operational notices affecting routes and ETD/ETA.

At Private Jets Connect, our teams regularly handle this type of operation and support shippers at every step.

O

OBC

On Board Courier: courier accompanies goods in the cabin for high-security or time-critical items.

P

P2F

Passenger to Freighter: passenger aircraft converted to freighter, often narrow-body for regional e-commerce.

Palletised

Cargo built on a pallet, often netted for PMC-compatible loading.

Part Charter

Purchase of partial charter capacity or a leg on a shared charter.

Payload

Useful load available for cargo, excluding unusable fuel and structural limits.

PMC

Common main-deck pallet ULD type on widebodies.

Q

Quota (capacity)

Allocated capacity share on a flight or season; overlaps conceptually with BSA but can be shorter-term.

R

RA (Regulated Agent)

EU security approved agent handling cargo under controlled procedures.

Ramp

Airside apron area: parking, loading, coordination with GHA.

RFS

Road Feeder Service: truck feeder between airports or to a land hub.

S

SAF

Sustainable Aviation Fuel: drop-in renewable blend lowering lifecycle emissions.

Screening

Security screening (X-ray, ETD, canines) before loading.

SLI

Shipper’s Letter of Instruction: data feed to issue AWB and filings.

Slot

Coordinated airport slot for take-off/landing; shapes capacity and punctuality.

T

TACT

The Air Cargo Tariff: IATA tariff reference used with negotiated rates.

Tariff

Published or negotiated rate level, per kg or unit, before surcharges.

Tare Weight

Tare of packaging or empty ULD for specific weighing rules.

THC

Terminal Handling Charge: terminal handling fee distinct from line-haul air freight.

Tonnage

Cargo tonnage for statistics, forecasts and BSA planning.

Tracking

Milestone statuses (RCS, DEP, ARR, DLV) and AWB visibility.

Transit

Customs transit status between segments without final import.

Transshipment

Hub change of aircraft/mode with connection time and document alignment.

U

ULD

Unit Load Device: certified pallet or container for lower/main deck.

AKE

Lower-hold contour ULD widely used for loose and BUP loads.

V

Volumetric Weight

Volume converted to a weight equivalent to derive chargeable weight.

W

Wet Lease

Aircraft with crew (and often maintenance by lessor), used to add capacity quickly.

X

X-ray (EDS)

Radioscopy / explosive detection within the screening chain.

Y

Yield management

Pricing and allocation tuning by demand and load factor.

Z

Free trade / bonded zone

Controlled area for storage or light processing before final import; aligns with airport transit flows.

Incoterms snapshot

Air freight sits inside whichever Incoterm you choose: FCA at an airport cargo terminal is a frequent handover point for export consolidation. Align DAP/DDP with who pays THC and customs broker fees to avoid margin disputes.

For charter or critical capacity, submit details on the cargo booking page (slots, ULD, DGR, ETD/ETA).

Need a quote or expert advice? Reach out to the Private Jets Connect team for a tailored proposal.