Air freight China: when to choose it and how it is priced

Air freight costs significantly more per kilo than sea freight, and it emits dozens of times more greenhouse gases for equal tonnage. So it is not a default choice, it is a catch-up mode. It becomes rational when the product value is high, the volume low and the deadline tight. In these cases, the price difference between the two modes, relative to the value of the goods, becomes marginal. In other cases, it weighs heavily on profitability.

Concretely, our sinophone team in Guangzhou sees the choice of air freight focusing on four situations:

Air freight is charged per chargeable kilogram, published by weight brackets: the heavier the shipment, the lower the price per kilo. Rates follow classic thresholds, often around 45 kg, 100 kg, 300 kg and 500 kg depending on the carrier. Most services also impose a minimum billing amount, even for a light parcel. In addition to this rate, variable surcharges apply, notably fuel and security, which change several times a year.

The price per kilo is only the visible part. An air shipment also includes airport handling fees, documentation, customs clearance at destination and final delivery. On a small shipment, these fixed costs can weigh as much as the freight itself. The right comparison is therefore door-to-door, on the same incoterm, and not between two per-kilo rates. Finally, prices are volatile: available capacity, the October and November peak before the holidays, or a local event can cause them to fluctuate significantly from one week to the next.

A cargo aircraft is limited by volume as much as by weight. To avoid losing money on light, bulky goods, airlines charge the higher of the actual weight and the volumetric weight. The IATA standard sets the volumetric factor at 6,000 cm³ per kilo, i.e. 166.67 kg per m³. This chargeable weight, actual or volumetric, serves as the basis for the calculation.

Take the example of a box measuring 60 × 40 × 40 cm: the volume is 96,000 cm³, divided by 6,000 gives 16 volumetric kg. If this box actually weighs 9 kg, the invoice is based on 16 kg. Express integrators (DHL, FedEx, UPS) often use a divisor of 5,000, which is stricter: the same box would then be billed on 19.2 kg.

This calculation often overturns the comparison with sea freight: a light but bulky product pays air freight on its volume, whereas LCL sea freight mainly charges on the occupied m³. Before booking, measure your actual boxes, box by box, then calculate the chargeable weight of the complete shipment.

Changing the mode of transport does not change anything for import. The customs value, duties, VAT, EORI number, CE marking and any regulatory requirements apply exactly the same way by air as by sea. The speed of air freight accelerates availability, not compliance: non-compliant goods remain blocked, regardless of the mode chosen.

Air mode adds its own restrictions. Lithium-ion batteries shipped alone (UN 3480) have been banned on passenger aircraft since 2016 and only travel on cargo freight, with a limited state of charge; batteries contained in equipment (UN 3481) follow specific packaging rules. Liquids, aerosols and magnetized items undergo reinforced checks, and packaging wood must be treated according to ISPM 15. Everything goes through a security scanner before boarding.

Three modes share the China-Europe traffic, with well-separated uses. Express (DHL, FedEx, UPS) covers door-to-door for a few boxes, simple to organize but at the highest per-kilo price, with a volumetric divisor of 5,000. General air freight, organized by a freight forwarder, becomes interesting from a few hundred chargeable kilos. LCL sea freight remains the cheapest, but takes several weeks of transit.

The decision is based on two pieces of data: the calculated chargeable weight, and the actual lead time your business can tolerate. Get quotes for the same shipment in both modes, including end-to-end costs, then compare. Beyond a certain volume, a full container load (FCL) takes over. The door-to-door lead times for each mode are detailed in our dedicated article.

Sorva is a brokerage and sourcing firm based in Guangzhou. For freight, our sinophone team obtains quotes from several freight forwarders, calculates the actual chargeable weight of your boxes, then decides between express, air freight and sea freight according to your deadlines and margin. We also check the packaging and documents before pickup, so that the shipment passes security and customs checks without delay.

In most cases, you do not pay any fees: you open a file, we negotiate the goods and transport for you, and we take a commission on the volumes we place. You receive the raw quotes and the breakdown of costs, and you decide on the shipping method with full knowledge.