A:
- Air Waybill (AWB): A document that serves as a contract of carriage between the shipper and the airline.
B:
- Belly Cargo: Freight carried in the lower deck or “belly” of passenger aircraft.
C:
- Cargo Aircraft: A plane designed or converted for the carriage of goods rather than passengers.
D:
- Dangerous Goods: Items that may endanger the safety of an aircraft or persons onboard during air transport.
E:
- Electronic Air Waybill (e-AWB): A digital version of the traditional paper air waybill.
F:
- Freight Forwarder: An agent who arranges the carriage of goods and associated formalities on behalf of a shipper.
G:
- General Cargo Rate: The standard rate charged for air freight not subject to specific commodity rates.
H:
- Hub: A central airport that flights are routed through as part of a hub-and-spoke model.
I:
- IATA (International Air Transport Association): A trade association representing and serving the airline industry worldwide.
J:
- Jet Bridge: A movable connector which extends from the airport terminal gate to an airplane.
K:
- Known Shipper: A shipper approved by relevant authorities as safe to ship cargo on passenger aircraft.
L:
- Load Factor: The percentage of aircraft cargo capacity that is utilized on a flight.
M:
- Minimum Charge: The lowest charge applied for shipment by air, regardless of weight.
N:
- NOTOC (Notice to Captain): A document informing the pilot about special cargo on board.
O:
- Oversize Cargo: Items that exceed standard dimensions and require special handling.
P:
- Pallet: A flat transport structure that supports goods in a stable fashion while being lifted by material handling equipment.
Q:
- Quarantine: The isolation of arriving international passengers, animals, or goods to prevent the spread of disease.
R:
- Ramp: The area of an airport where aircraft are parked, unloaded, loaded, refueled, or boarded.
S:
- Security Surcharge: An additional fee charged to cover the cost of security measures for air cargo.
T:
- Transit: The transfer of cargo from one flight to another en route to its final destination.
U:
- ULD (Unit Load Device): A pallet or container used to load luggage, freight, and mail on aircraft.
V:
- Volumetric Weight: A calculation of a shipment’s weight based on its volume rather than its actual weight.
W:
- Wide-body Aircraft: A larger aircraft with two passenger aisles, capable of carrying more cargo.
X:
- X-ray Screening: A security measure used to inspect air cargo without opening packages.
Y:
- Yield Management: The process of understanding, anticipating and influencing consumer behavior to maximize revenue or profits.
Z:
- Zone, Free Trade: A designated area at or near an airport where goods may be stored duty-free before export or import.