Air Cargo - Buyers Guide

Air Cargo Carriers

In the air cargo industry, there are a wide variety of planes used for transportation purposes. In fact, there are several different types of planes used to transport goods from one end of the world to the next – and the type that is used for your shipment will depend on what you are shipping. Let’s take a look at what is currently being used. If you need to find air cargo service providers, just fill out our easy form and we will send you five, free quotes from established air cargo companies in your area.

Regular air cargo shipments such as documents, small packages and other common goods are mostly shipped using dedicated cargo hold space on commercial passenger airliners. In fact, the US postal service has space booked on 15,000 of the 25,000 daily flights scheduled across the country. The cargo hold is located in a special section found underneath the passenger hold of the aircraft. Special containers that fit into the cargo hold are used for this purpose – as are wooden pallets on which goods are then loosely piled. The 747-400 can also be used in what is called “combi-mode.” What this means is that a section of the passenger compartment is converted into freight storage, thereby increasing dramatically the plane’s storage capacity.

If you are looking to ship much larger items by air freight then you will have to booked space on a dedicated cargo plane. Cargo planes come in varying sizes. In some of the larger aircraft the nose can open in order to accommodate irregularly shaped goods. The inside of a cargo plan is fitted with electric rollers on the floor in order to help move the goods into the plane since no forklifts can fit inside the craft.

Super transporters are enormous airplanes that look like beluga whales – whereby they get their nickname of “belugas.” With the capacity to haul 47 tons of cargo, the Beluga features a cargo hold on top of the cockpit so that the entire length of the plane can be used for storage. Although big and able to transport such items of helicopters and even another plane, the super transporter cannot move military tanks – however, there is a plane big enough to move three or four tanks at a time!

The largest cargo plane in the world is called the Antonov-AN225. It was designed to carry the Russian version of the space shuttle. With the collapse of the space program in that country, the plane was then shunted aside until recently. It was refurbished and is now used to transport massive objects or large numbers of big items. With a carrying capacity of 250 tons it can haul 80 cars at a time. It has an impressive wingspan that is nearly the length of a football field. Booking space on the Antonov, is clearly not something just anyone can do! However, if you are looking to find a more reasonable air cargo supplier for your shipment, allow OneEntry to help you out. Fill in our convenient form and let us send you up to five quotes for free.

Compare Free Quotes

In The Air Cargo Industry

from up to 5 professional companies

We protect your privacy

Post a request
Get free quotes
Choose a company

SUPPLIERS Get more customers

Join today for FREE

I filled in a form and got offers right away. I can't believe how easy this was!

Loretta, Buyer
Maryland, USA