Air is fast and expensive per kilo: learn to calculate chargeable weight, read the air waybill, handle batteries and perishables, and decide when air freight pays for itself.
Goal: Calculate the chargeable weight of an air shipment and decide whether air freight pays for itself by comparing it with the cost of being out of stock.
Air is the fastest transport: from Asia, the US or Europe the cargo reaches Lima in a few days, not weeks. In return, freight per kilo is much higher. That is why it suits goods with a high value per kilo (electronics, spare parts), perishables, medicines, samples and urgent restocking. For bulky, cheap cargo, sea almost always wins. Compare the extra cost of air with what you lose for each week without product.
The airline charges for the space your cargo takes up, not only for its weight. Calculate the volumetric weight: length × width × height of the package, in centimeters, divided by 6,000 (the standard factor of IATA, the world airline association; some couriers use 5,000). Compare the result with the actual weight on the scale and they charge the greater one, called the chargeable weight. A box of 60 × 50 × 40 cm weighs 14 kg, but it is charged as 20 kg. Packing more compactly lowers the freight.
The central document is the air waybill (AWB). It has 11 digits and is the transport contract and the receipt for your cargo. It is not a document of title and it is not negotiable: the goods are delivered to the consignee named on it. If you share space with other importers, the international freight forwarder consolidates the shipments under a master waybill (MAWB) and issues you a house waybill (HAWB). IATA promotes the electronic waybill (e-AWB), which is paperless.
Freight is quoted per chargeable kilo and falls as the shipment gets heavier (there are weight brackets, for example from 45, 100 or 500 kg). There is almost always a minimum rate. On top of that come fuel and security surcharges, and in Lima handling and storage at the cargo terminal. Ask for an itemized quote. Under Incoterms® 2020, for air use FCA, CPT or CIP: FOB, CFR and CIF are only for sea and inland waterway transport.
Not everything goes on a plane. Dangerous goods follow IATA's Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR). The most common case is lithium batteries in cell phones, laptops and tools: they require approved packaging, labels, the manufacturer's UN 38.3 test and, in most cases, a shipper's declaration. Perishables and medicines need a cold chain, that is, keeping the indicated temperature from end to end. Tell the supplier and the agent when you ask for the quote, not on the day of shipment.
Air cargo arrives mostly at Jorge Chávez International Airport, in Callao. It is unloaded into a temporary warehouse: a warehouse authorized by SUNAT where the goods wait for their declaration and release (levante, the customs authorization to take them out). Each day of waiting adds storage charges, so have the documents ready before the flight. The procedure is covered in module 3; cargo insurance, in the course on International Cargo Transport and Insurance.
| Item | What it covers | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Air freight | The transfer between airports, per chargeable kilo | Weight brackets and minimum rate per shipment |
| Surcharges | Fuel, security and other airline charges | That they are included in the quote and do not show up later |
| Handling at origin | Pickup, packing, issuing the waybill and delivery to the airline | Whether it is already included in the agreed Incoterm® |
| Storage and handling in Lima | Unloading and custody in the temporary warehouse | Free days and the cost for each additional day |
| Freight forwarder | Consolidation, house waybill and coordination with the airline | Which services it charges separately |
| Cargo insurance | Coverage for loss or damage during transport | Insured value and risks covered |
Result: Air makes sense: it pays US$ 412.00 more to avoid up to US$ 4,500 in lost sales, and repacking saved it 40 chargeable kg (US$ 244.00). If the product were not urgent, LCL would win.
29/01/2026
On 29/01/2026, IATA reported that world air cargo demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometers (CTK), grew 3.4% in 2025 compared with 2024, and 4.2% in international operations. In Latin America and the Caribbean, demand rose 2.3%, with 4.5% more capacity, and in December it fell 4.1%. The air market moves differently by region and by month, and that shows in what you are quoted.
Ask for current quotes by route and date: last year's rate is no use for deciding today.
Source: IATA – Global Air Cargo Demand Achieved Record Volume in 2025 (comunicado de prensa)
01/01/2026
IATA's lithium battery information sheet states that lithium-ion batteries shipped on their own may only go on cargo aircraft, with a state of charge not above 30% of their rated capacity. From 01/01/2026, that 30% limit also applies to batteries packed with the equipment they power. Those packed with their equipment may go on passenger aircraft if the batteries weigh up to 5 kg per package. A wrongly declared shipment can be rejected by the airline.
If your product has a battery, ask the supplier how it is packed and confirm with your freight forwarder whether the airline accepts the shipment.
2026
On its official cargo program page, IATA describes the e-AWB as the electronic air waybill that replaces the paper Air Waybill and works as a transport contract between the shipper and the carrier, under its Resolution 672. The waybill is exchanged as data between the agent and the airline, instead of relying on paper originals. That is why the data entered must be correct from the start.
Check with your supplier and your agent that the consignee, the description of the goods and the number of packages match the invoice before the waybill is issued.
Source: IATA – e-AWB (Programa de carga)
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