--- title: "Air Freight Forwarding & Air Cargo Shipping | Flexport" description: "Ship air cargo globally with Flexport. Reliable air freight forwarding with real-time tracking, charter options, and competitive rates." language: en canonical: https://www.flex.thisisbrew.com/products/air-freight/ lifecycle: live --- # Air Freight Forwarding & Air Cargo Shipping | Flexport ## The most automated and reliable air freight forwarder, powered by AI Flexport's AI-native platform automates the costliest manual work in air freight forwarding — optimizing routing, planning, and capacity through machine learning to deliver hard cost savings, SKU-level visibility, and industry-leading on-time reliability. [Get Started](https://www.flexport.com/sign-up/) ## Join thousands of leading brands on Flexport - Jlab - trek - rag and bone - Fairphone - hill house - Made In Cookware - life fitness - rtic - tatcha - away - thule ## Predictability built into every air booking **Stay on schedule with predictable air bookings** — Flexport's centralized platform connects your entire supply chain with stable capacity, real-time visibility, and AI-powered planning tools — so every air freight booking comes with the predictability you need to move faster and reduce risk. **Catch issues in time for takeoff** — Air freight exceptions require immediate action. Flexport's AI-powered platform detects disruptions in real time and automatically flags at-risk shipments, keeping your supply chain on schedule. **See the full value of your air freight** — Flexport's platform lets you compare shipping costs across all modes and calculate true landed costs at the SKU level, with built-in analytics that help your team plan smarter and make faster, data-driven decisions. ## Control your supply chain in a single pane of glass Flexport's platform delivers end-to-end supply chain visibility — from origin to final delivery. Fully digitized documentation, real-time shipment tracking, and automated status updates keep your entire team aligned at every milestone, so you can identify disruptions early and act before they impact your business. Flexport dashboard showing a world map with airplane shipment routes, an industry news panel, and exception and priority shipment lists ## Innovating air shipment planning Flexport's Air Planning Tool automates Container Freight Station (CFS) assignments, draft allotment, and real-time scenario analysis — enabling our operations team to instantly optimize for the best combination of cost and on-time performance across every shipment. Illustration of an airplane beside bar charts topped with a dollar coin and a clock, representing cost and time tradeoffs ## Course correct exceptions in real time Flexport's platform is built to minimize exceptions and limit their impact when they do occur. Real-time alerts surface the full details of every disruption the moment it's detected, so you and your Flexport air freight team can quickly rebook, reroute, and resolve issues before they cascade through your supply chain. Flexport shipment timeline from supplier to Hong Kong warehouse with a carrier flight-schedule update notification ## Guaranteed air freight capacity from asia, on your schedule Flexport supplements commercial air freight capacity with dedicated charter flights from Asia, giving you reliable access to space when you need it most — reducing offload risk and protecting on-time delivery performance. > The relationship with Flexport has provided a greater level of continuity and predictability to our core operations, as compared with previous ad-hoc forwarding relationships, allowing us to fully standardize the way we move cargo in emergencies. > — Stephanie Steege, Director of Humanitarian Programs, Airlink ## High-security air freight for high-value cargo Flexport provides shipment-level GPS tracking, in-person escorts, and geofencing to ensure your high-value cargo stays secure and on course. All Flexport warehouses are bonded and TAPA- and C-TPAT-certified, meeting the highest standards in air freight security and compliance. Illustration of an airplane tracked by satellite over a map grid to a destination pin, with a guard beside an air cargo facility ## Manage your supply chain end to end ### Streamline orders from the start Start collaborating upfront. With Flexport Order Management, you can choose your SKUs, hit submit, and work with suppliers to ensure orders are accurate, approved, and runway ready. Flexport supplier interface to respond to a new order with options to accept or propose a change ### Let suppliers pilot the bookings By sharing control with suppliers, they can execute bookings, following rules you configure in the Flexport Platform. Still need help? Your Flexport team is on standby. Flexport platform Create Booking screen with Air Freight method and EXW Incoterm selected ### See where your SKUs are. Sell them from the sky. Real-time milestone tracking lets you know which goods are where. With visibility down to the SKU, there's no guesswork. Skip the stockouts and clinch sales like a boss. Flexport air shipment tracking card for FLEX-253893 over a map, showing departed JFK and schedule milestones ### Nail compliance. Breeze through clearances. Within minutes of receiving your shipment docs, the Flexport Platform validates your data against your Product Library for accuracy and any errors. That way, your Flexport customs broker has your back while cargo moves ahead. Flexport customs document checklist and milestone timeline showing commercial invoice, air waybills uploaded and customs cleared ### Connect ground teams for end-to-end control After goods land, you want the same speed on the ground. The Flexport Platform connects drivers and warehouses to align on cargo availability and delivery times. No need to micromanage — notifications alert everyone to progress or exceptions. Flexport schedule-delivery interface over a US map route from factory to warehouse, proposing an appointment time ## Build reports in minutes with searchable data Share metrics for success and budget future launches with cost and transit-time reporting. Hit the search bar, review in minutes, or schedule to send later. [Request A Demo](https://www.flexport.com/sign-up/) ## Dive into tools that feel like toys Review landed costs to see how air freight pays off. Obsess over on-time performance. Run predictive models, compare transport modes, or drill down to the SKU. Line chart titled Landed Cost Per Unit comparing tops, dresses and shoes across periods ## Ready to get started? Talk to a supply chain solutions expert and see the Flexport Platform in action. [Get Started](https://www.flexport.com/sign-up/) ## Take your supply chain further **Ocean freight** Cross the ocean reliably, thanks to oceans of data. [Learn More](https://www.flex.thisisbrew.com/products/ocean-freight/) **Dangerous goods** Flexport DG training can make you more compliant and productive — it's taught by working experts with lessons drawn from far beyond the classroom. [Learn More](https://www.flexport.com/products/compliance-certification/) **Order management** Create and manage POs in the Flexport Platform. [Learn More](https://www.flexport.com/products/order-management/) **Customs** Clear goods quickly. Use the data for strategy. [Learn More](https://www.flex.thisisbrew.com/products/customs/) ### What is Flexport Air Freight? Flexport Air Freight is a full-service air freight forwarding solution that manages the end-to-end movement of cargo via air — from origin pickup and export customs clearance through flight booking, in-transit tracking, import clearance, and final delivery. Unlike traditional forwarders that rely on manual coordination, Flexport's air freight service runs on an AI-native operations platform that automates routing, planning, and exception management. Shippers get real-time visibility into their cargo at every milestone, plus access to analytics and reporting tools to manage costs and performance. Flexport handles both standard air cargo and time-critical shipments, with charter options available for dedicated capacity needs. ### What types of air freight services does Flexport offer? Flexport offers several air freight service types to match different shipping needs: Standard air freight: Scheduled commercial capacity for time-sensitive cargo that doesn't require the fastest possible transit Express or expedited air freight: Priority routing for urgent shipments with tighter delivery windows Charter air freight: Dedicated aircraft capacity, primarily from Asia, for shippers who need guaranteed space and maximum reliability Dangerous goods (DG) shipping: Certified handling for hazardous materials with full compliance support High-security cargo: Shipment-level GPS tracking, in-person escorts, and geofencing for high-value goods All service types are managed through the Flexport Platform, giving shippers unified visibility and control regardless of which service they use. ### How does Flexport Air Freight improve visibility and control? Flexport provides real-time tracking at every stage of an air shipment — from the moment cargo leaves the origin facility through customs clearance, flight departures and arrivals, and final delivery. The Flexport Platform digitizes all shipment documents and structures the data so teams can search, report, and act on it without chasing emails or spreadsheets. When exceptions occur, like a delayed flight or a customs hold, the platform flags them immediately with full context, so shippers and their Flexport operations team can course-correct before the issue compounds. Landed cost reporting and mode comparison tools are also built in, so teams can evaluate air against ocean and make informed tradeoff decisions down to the SKU level. ### What industries can use Flexport Air Freight? Flexport Air Freight is used across industries where speed, reliability, or cargo sensitivity are priorities: Retail and ecommerce: Replenishing fast-moving inventory, hitting seasonal deadlines, or responding to unexpected demand spikes Consumer electronics: Moving high-value, time-sensitive components and finished goods, particularly on Asia-US trade lanes Apparel and fashion: Meeting tight launch windows and minimizing markdowns from late arrivals Pharmaceuticals and life sciences: Temperature-sensitive or compliance-critical shipments requiring certified handling Automotive and industrial: Urgent parts shipments to prevent production line stoppages Humanitarian and NGO: Emergency cargo requiring speed, reliability, and chain-of-custody documentation Flexport's platform scales to fit companies shipping a few critical loads per month as well as high-volume shippers moving cargo across multiple trade lanes simultaneously. ### How much does Flexport Air Freight cost? Air freight costs depend on several factors: chargeable weight (the greater of actual weight and volumetric weight), origin and destination, service type, fuel surcharges, and any applicable customs or handling fees. As a general benchmark, air freight typically costs 4–6x more per kilogram than ocean freight — but for time-sensitive or high-value cargo, the speed premium often offsets inventory carrying costs, stockout risk, or markdown exposure. Flexport makes it easy to calculate true landed costs — including duties, taxes, and last-mile fees — so shippers can compare air against ocean on a total-cost basis, not just the freight rate. To get a rate for your specific lanes and cargo, contact us today and someone from our team will reach out shortly. --- *This is a markdown version of [https://www.flex.thisisbrew.com/products/air-freight/](https://www.flex.thisisbrew.com/products/air-freight/) for AI/LLM consumption.*