Air freight rates: how air cargo is priced
Air cargo is billed per kilo, but not always per kilo it weighs. Here's how carriers turn your cartons into a chargeable weight, how weight breaks and surcharges work, and what a door-to-door quote should list.
Short answer: Air freight is priced per kilo of chargeable weight: the greater of the actual weight and the volumetric weight (length × width × height in centimeters ÷ 6,000). The rate per kilo drops at weight breaks (45, 100, 300, 500 and 1,000 kg), and fuel and security surcharges, terminal handling, customs and delivery are added on top. Express service costs the most and arrives fastest; standard and deferred services trade days for a lower rate.
Updated November 2, 2026 · By the GetShippingRates team at Armstrong Transport Group
Work out the chargeable weight
Airlines run out of space before they run out of lift, so light, bulky cargo bills on its size. Volumetric weight uses the IATA standard of 6,000 cubic centimeters per kilo:
Metric
L × W × H (cm) ÷ 6,000 = volumetric kg
Imperial
L × W × H (in) ÷ 166 = volumetric lb
Worked example
Four cartons, each 60 × 50 × 50 cm and 18 kg. Volumetric weight per carton is 60 × 50 × 50 ÷ 6,000 = 25 kg, so 100 kg for the shipment, against 72 kg actual. The chargeable weight is 100 kg, which also lands it in the 100 kg weight break.
Run your own pieces through the air freight chargeable weight calculator.
Weight breaks set the rate per kilo
| Weight break | What it means |
|---|---|
| Minimum | A flat minimum charge per shipment, whatever the weight |
| Under 45 kg (“normal”) | The highest rate per kilo |
| 45 kg and up | Lower rate per kilo |
| 100 kg and up | Lower again |
| 300 kg, 500 kg, 1,000 kg and up | Each break lowers the rate per kilo further |
Because the rate drops at each break, a 90 kg shipment can cost less billed as 100 kg at the lower rate. Check that your quote applies the cheaper of the two.
Every charge on a door-to-door air quote
- Pickup
- Trucking from your door to the origin airport's cargo terminal.
- Export filing
- US exports need Electronic Export Information filed in AES when a Schedule B line is worth more than $2,500 or needs a license.
- Screening and origin handling
- Cargo is security screened and built onto pallets or containers (ULDs) at the origin terminal.
- Air freight
- The airline rate per chargeable kilo at the shipment's weight break.
- Surcharges
- Fuel and security surcharges, usually per chargeable kilo; an air waybill fee per shipment.
- Destination handling
- Terminal and handling charges at the arrival airport.
- Import clearance, duties and taxes
- A customs broker clears the goods; duties and import taxes depend on the commodity and country.
- Delivery
- Trucking from the destination airport to the consignee.
Airport-to-airport quotes leave out the trucking and clearance lines, so compare door-to-door quotes with door-to-door quotes.
Express, standard or ocean?
- Air express: the fastest option and the highest rate per kilo. For urgent parts and high-value goods.
- Air standard: a few days slower, a lower rate. Most planned air freight moves here.
- Ocean: the lowest cost per kilo, with transit in weeks. See ocean freight rates.
GetShippingRates publishes historical price benchmarks only for LTL, where Armstrong’s own shipment history is deep enough to be fair. Air rates are quoted live.
Air express, air standard and ocean compared for your shipment, door to door or port to port, each with total price, transit days and how long the price is valid. How international quoting works.
Frequently asked questions
How is air freight chargeable weight calculated?
Multiply length × width × height of each piece in centimeters and divide by 6,000 to get volumetric kilos (in inches and pounds, divide cubic inches by 166). Compare the total with the actual gross weight; the larger number is the chargeable weight.
Why don't you publish air freight prices per kilo?
Air cargo rates move with fuel, capacity and season, sometimes weekly, and vary widely by airport pair. A dated table would mislead. The platform prices your actual route live, with how long each price is valid.
What is a weight break in air freight?
Air rates are published in tiers by chargeable weight. Each tier (45, 100, 300, 500, 1,000 kg) has a lower rate per kilo. A shipment just under a break can cost less billed at the next break's weight and rate, and a good quote applies whichever is cheaper.
Is air freight cheaper than express courier?
For small parcels, courier express is often simpler. For heavier or palletized cargo, air freight usually prices better per kilo, especially on standard or deferred service. Quote both when you are unsure.
Do air freight quotes include duties?
No. Duties and import taxes depend on the commodity's tariff classification, its value and country of origin, and are paid by the importer of record. A quote may include customs clearance service; the duties themselves are on top.
More shipping cost guides
Get a live air freight quote
Tell us the origin and destination, cartons or pallets with dimensions and weight, and what you're shipping. Armstrong's team compares air express, air standard and ocean routes with total price and transit days, and books the one you choose.
Prefer to talk? Call 877-240-1181 or email info@getshippingrates.com. Shipping several modes? Request a free multimodal shipping review.