Transportation of various goods or products has always been and remains one of the main types of economic relations between countries. Technological progress is developing and in parallel - cargo transportation. Modern technologies and new means of transportation are being introduced, among which an important role is played by air transportation.
A bit of history
The history of air travel dates back to the first decades of the 20th century. At first, there were no special aircraft that were designed specifically for air travel. One of the first prototypes of transport airplanes is Arado Air 232. This device was created in Germany. At that time, Douglas DC-3s were more often used as trucks. Today, most major aircraft manufacturers produce powerful cargo liners, usually based on passenger models already in operation. The most popular among them are the Airbus A330, McDonnell Douglas, MD Boeing 747, and others. At the same time, there are purely transport liners. A special place in their list is occupied by Ukrainian cars of the famous Antonov AN-124 Ruslan and AN-225 Mriya.
In a relatively short period of time, air cargo transportation has gained great popularity. The development of international trade and a significant increase in the carrying capacity of air transport have made air transportation available to a large number of customers. Today, the global air transport system includes more than 600 air transport companies. By ownership, they are classified into public, private and corporate enterprises.
Advantages and disadvantages of air travel
Air cargo transportation is valued all over the world. They are quite versatile and can provide fast delivery of goods over long distances. Regardless of the geographical location of states, air cargo transportation allows you to have fast and reliable access to remote markets and global supply chains. This is critical to the implementation of international best business practices, including operational inventory management and on-demand production.
Air freight is an effective driver of economic progress in developing countries as it links markets across continents.
Competitive advantages of air transportation
- High delivery speed. This quality of air transportation cannot be compared with any other known type of transportation. There are cargoes that need to be transported over fairly long distances in a minimum time, for example, perishable products, valuables, organs for transplantation, etc.
- Independence from the complexity of the geographical landscape. This is important when you need to transport goods to remote places where there are no roads and other means of transport cannot be reached.
- Reliability and security. Carrying out theft at a height is a rather difficult task. Therefore, no additional maintenance costs are required.
- Online control. It is easy to track the location of the aircraft and the cargo inside it. Ordinary sensor with GP signal monitors the status via satellite.
- Practicality. The number of customs points that must be passed when delivering goods inside another continent is reduced.
There are no pros without cons
One of the main disadvantages of air transportation is the high price for this type of service. At the same time, the execution of the necessary package of documents and legislative acts of the countries of dispatch and destination in accordance with the requirements of IATA for international transportation of goods brings a certain complexity and responsibility. Delivery of goods from the sender directly to the recipient is impossible without the participation of another mode of transport. There is a strong dependence on weather conditions, which can lead to an increase in the terms of transportation of products.
Air transport classification
Air transportation is classified by direction, cargo category and loading option:
- general (simple);
- passing;
- prefabricated;
- shuttle.
The main advantage of simple transportation is low cost. This class includes air transportation, which involves the transportation of the main cargo to the destination. In this case, the customer is the owner of the cargo.
Passing are called transportation, which use passing, free planes.
Prefabricated is the most commonly used option for transporting single, small batches. For such transportation, piece cargoes are collected in a warehouse and sent when a sufficient amount accumulates to fully load a particular airliner. Such transportation is characterized by the lowest cost.
Shuttle services are more often used to meet the needs of air passengers. The peculiarity of this type is that the transport returns to its destination, as a rule, already without passengers.
According to the main directions, the classification of air transportation from Ukraine or back is the following Europe, the USA, the Middle East, the CIS and Asia.
Features of cargo delivery
Air cargo can be product samples, raw materials, equipment, charitable assistance, and even animals weighing 25 kg or more. Point of departure and delivery - any place on the globe where there is an appropriate area for takeoff and landing of an aircraft (helicopter). If necessary, it is possible to drop cargo with a parachute.
As it moves along the delivery chain, the cargo passes through a number of structures with different responsibilities. These include airlines, postal operators, transport companies and ground handling agents.
Delivery of goods by air is carried out by both cargo and passenger flights. The choice of a specific option is determined depending on the following parameters:
- Weight and dimensions (dimensions). Passenger airliners have a smaller capacity of cargo compartments compared to transport vehicles.
- Route. The lion's share of world airlines does not operate cargo flights, including to Ukraine. The exception is expensive charter flights.
- Availability - when sending goods by air, the so-called carrying capacity of a particular airline is taken into account.
- Tariffs. Quite often, it is not profitable for cargo owners to pay the high cost of transportation. Cargo flights are usually more expensive than passenger routes.
The organization of air transportation is a rather complicated procedure. Only large transport companies can undertake their implementation, including Grand Logistics CompanL. We have qualified specialists in our staff who ensure interaction with partners in all corners of the world. The company always does everything possible to ensure that customers can get the maximum benefit from air transport at the lowest possible cost.