Air Cargo Terms

Air Carrier
Airline, which carries or undertakes to carry the cargo under the air waybill or to perform any other
such air carriage including the airline issuing the Air Waybill.
Airline Code Numbers
The carrier's three-digit IATA airline code number i.e. 217- for TG
Air Waybill

The document made out by or on behalf of the shipper, which evidences the contract between the sh
carrier(s) for carriage of goods over routes of the carrier(s).
Air Waybill Identification Label
An identification slip attached to packages.
Agent
A person or organization authorized to act on behalf of a carrier.
Apron
Parking area of an aircraft.

Backlog
Undelivered cargo or mail, held back because of weather or embargoes or flight cancellations
Bank Shipment

A shipment where the consignee is identified as bank and the actual consignee is listed under " Also
(It is the carrier's responsibility to withhold delivery until the bank has authorized a release in writin
Belly
The space below the main deck of an aircraft used for carrying baggage, mail or cargo.

Block Time
A period of actual time between departure and arrival.
Bonded Area
Space authorized by customs officials as suitable for storing uncleared consignments.
Booking
A request for cargo space on an aircraft.
Break Bulk Agent
An agent who breaks consolidations into their individual part.
Bulk Cargo
Loose cargo not loaded on a pallet or in a container.

Cargo

Any property carried or to be carried in an aircraft other than mail or other property carried under th
international postal convention, baggage or property of the carrier; provided that baggage moving u
is cargo.
Cargo Charges Correction Advice (CCA)

A document used for the notification of changes to charges and/or method of payment inserted on a
Cargo Community System (CCS)
A means of electronically transmitting messages between airline and cargo agents member.
Cargo Ground Handling Agent
An authorized agent acting on behalf of carrier on manipulating freight.
Certificate of Origin
Document to prove the place of growth, production or manufacture of goods specified thereon.
Charge

An amount to be paid for carriage of goods based on the applicable rate for such carriage, or an am

a special or incidental service in connection with the carriage of goods.

Charges Collect (CC)

The charges entered on the Air Waybill or shipment record for collection from the consignee against
shipment.
Charges Prepaid (PP)
The charges entered on the Air Waybill for payment by the shipper.
Charter
An aircraft or flight operating under a charter contract.
Charter Contract
An agreement where a carrier places the entire capacity of an aircraft at a shipper's disposal.
Claims

A request for refunds or compensation (by shippers or their agents) for loss or damage to cargo due
the control of the carrier.
Classification
A listing of articles in classes for rating purposes.
Commercial Invoice

Written record of transaction between seller and buyer, listing agreed prices and other charges; outl
weights, terms of sale, shipping marks, etc.
Commission

A percentage of weight charge shown on the Air Waybill, paid by airline to its agent for services perf
Commodity
Cargo contents, e.g. leathers etc.
Compartment
A space designated within a hold.
Conditions of Carriage
The terms and conditions established by a carrier in respect to its carriage.

Conditions of Contract
The terms and conditions shown on the reverse of the Air Waybill.
Consignee

The person or firm whose name appears on the Air Waybill as the party to whom the goods are to b
carrier.
Consignment
See Shipment
Consolidation

Different consignments grouped together and covered by one Air Waybill (Master Air Waybill) with s
Waybill issued by the forwarder for each individual consignment.
Consolidator
A person or organization performing a consolidation.
Consular Invoice

A prescribed form of invoice required by a transit or destination country. Usually legalized by the con
country concerned for a fee.
Container
A certified container that interfaces directly with an aircraft restraint system and meets all restraint
without the use of supplementary equipment.
Contents

A description of goods as declared by the shipper in the "nature and quantity of goods" box of the A
Contoured

A shaped unit load device closely fitted to suit the aircraft envelope and to utilize the maximum spac
CTK
Cargo Tonne Kilometres
Customs Broker
An agent designated to perform inbound customs clearance for the consignee.
Customs Clearance

Customs formalities to be completed at origin, in transit and at destination.

Damage
Harm done to goods during transportation that impairs their value or usefulness.
Damage Report
A form to be completed when goods are damaged.
Dangerous Goods
Special Cargo
Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR)

Regulations listing all dangerous goods and giving detailed instructions regarding packing and handl
materials.
Declared Value for Carriage

The value of goods declared to the carrier by the shipper for the purpose of determining charges or
limit of the carrier's liability for loss, damage or delay. It is also the basis for possible applicable valu
Delivery Receipt
A receipt signed by the consignee as proof that the goods have been delivered to him.
Density
The relationship of weight to volume in a unit i.e. lb per ft3 or kg per m3
Destination
The ultimate stopping place of the goods according to the contract of carriage.
Dimension (DIMS)

Length, width and height of items measured in centimeters or inches used to determine applicable r
general information.
Diplomatic Bag/Pouch

Diplomatic Bag or Pouch contains official correspondence that moves between a government and its
representatives abroad, or between the mentioned representatives, supported by a Declaration of D
covered by the IATA air waybill.

Diversion
A change to the planned destination during the flight.
Dolly

A towed vehicle with a roller platform for hauling ULDs between the cargo terminal and the airplane

EDI For Administration, Commerce and Transport (EDIFACT)

Electronic exchange of pre-defined messages, structured according to agreed standards between co

with no manual intervention.
Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)
Electronic messages between two or more parties.
Embargo
Refusal by a carrier to accept goods for transportation, usually applies over a limited period.

Flight number
The designation of a flight.
Forwarder

An agent or company who performs services (such as receiving, trans-shipping or delivering) design
facilitate the passage of goods.
Free port
A defined area where goods are received, stored and shipped free of customs duty.
Freight
(see cargo)
Freighter
An aircraft designed solely for cargo carriage.

General Cargo
Any consignment other than special cargo.
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
The meridian from which all time zones are calculated (Greenwich England) for instance; local time
ahead of GMT (GMT+7).
Gross Weight
The weight of a shipment involving all packing.

Handling (Cargo)
Manipulating freight.
Highloader
A vehicle with elevated platform capable of loading/unloading freight to/from aircraft.
House Air Waybill

A document issued by a consolidator for instructions to the break bulk agent. Always attached to Ma

IATA
Abbreviation for International Air Transport Association with issues rules and regulations pertaining
IATA Cargo Agent

An agent approved by IATA and registered in the IATA Cargo Agency List. This enables the agent, up
the IATA carrier, to receive shipments, execute air waybills and collect charges.
ICAO

Abbreviation for International Civil Aviation Organization with responsible for implementing security

aviation.
Interline Carriage
Transportation of goods from origin to destination by two or more carriers.

Last Carrier

The participating carrier over whose air routes the last section of carriage under the air waybill is un
performed; or for the purposes of determining the responsibility for collecting charges collect and di
amounts, means the airline which delivers the consignment to the consignee whether or not that air
participated in the carriage.
Letter of Credit (L/C)
A letter from one bank to another bank, by which a third party, usually a customer is able to obtain
Liability Limitation

Liability for loss, delay, or damage to cargo is limited unless a higher value is declared in advance an
charges are paid. The liability limit is USD20/gross kilogram or equivalent.
Live Animal Regulations (LAR)
IATA publication with regulations governing the transportation of live animals.
Special Cargo Live Animal
Loose cargo
- see Bulk cargo

Manifest
Official list of cargo onboard a flight.
Master Air Waybill

An Air Waybill covering a consolidated shipment, showing the consolidator as shipper, with House Ai
attached.

Narrow-bodied Aircraft
A single aisle aircraft capable of carrying bulk cargo only.
Net weight
The weight of goods excluding all packing.
No Customs Value (NCV)
Goods with no value declared on the Air Waybill for Customs purposes.
No Show Cargo
Reserved cargo space that is not used and not cancelled.
No Value Declared for Carriage (NVD)

Goods with no value declared on the Air Waybill for the purpose of determining charges or of establi
the carrier's liability for loss, damage or delay.

Origin

The starting place i.e. place of manufacturer or beginning point of carriage according to the contract

Pallet
Fleet/ULD
Pallet Net
A special designed net used to secure goods on a pallet.
Part Shipment
A shipment with is not transported in total but in two or more parts.
Participant

Any party mentioned on the Air Waybill, includes the shipper, agent and carrier.
Proforma Invoice
An invoice that is sent in advance of goods supplied.
Proration
Division of joint rates or charges or revenue on an agreed basis between the carriers concerned.

Ramp

Parking area for aircraft where loading, unloading, refueling, parking and maintenance can be carrie
Rate
The amount charged by a carrier for carriage of a unit of weight or volume or nature of goods.
Ready for Carriage

The condition in which a shipment must be delivered by an IATA Cargo Agent to an IATA carrier. The
accompanying documents must be ready for immediate transportation.
Rerouting
The route altered from the originally specified on the Air Waybill.
Reservation
See Booking
Restricted Articles
Special Cargo Dangerous Goods
Road Feeder Service (RFS)
Truck operating as scheduled or non-scheduled flights.
Routing
The route of the air transportation as specified on the Air Waybill.

Scheduled Time of Arrival/Departure (STA/STD)

The departure/arrival times as published in official program.
Service Cargo

The cargo of the airline company or airline employee, which is transported free of charge or under d
route-net.
Shipment

One or more pieces of goods accepted by the carrier from one shipper at one time and at one addre
one lot and moving on one air waybill to one consignee at one destination address.
Shipper

The person or organization whose name appears on the Air Waybill as the party contracting with the
carriage of goods.
Shipping Documents

Documents other than transportation receipts or transportation contracts, required to enable shipme
or received.
Short-shipped
Cargo included in a flight manifest but not loaded onto the aircraft.
Shortage

A loss or reduction i.e. a loss in weight compared with the weight originally stated on the air waybill
consignment upon delivery at destination.
Slimbody Aircraft (S/B)
See Narrowbody Aircraft
Slot
The allotted take-off and landing time.
The timing of landing and take-off allocation.
Special Cargo
A consignment that contains cargo which requires special handling according to a nature of goods.
Surcharge

Additional or extra charges.

Tare Weight
Weight of the empty ULDs (pallet or container)
Tariff
The published rates, charges and/or related conditions or carriage of a carrier.
Terminal
Either end of a carrier line, e.g. airports are often referred to as terminals.
The Air Cargo Tariff (TACT)
An official publications published by IATA. The publication consists of 3 volumes:
TACT Rules Book (Orange): General rules, standards information
TACT Rates Book (Green): Rates for worldwide except North America
TACT Rates Book (Red): Rates for North America
Trace
To try locate freight or an Air Waybill missing on arrival.
Transfer
Transference of cargo between one (on) flight to another flight of the same or connecting carrier.
Transfer Cargo
Cargo arriving at a point by one carrier and continuing by another carrier.
Transferring Carrier
The carrier who transfers a consignment to another carrier at a transfer point.
Transshipment
Transfer of cargo from one aircraft to another.
Transit
Goods arriving at a point and continuing on the same flight.

UN Number
The four-digit number assigned by the United Nations committee, identifying dangerous goods.
Unaccompanied Baggage
Baggage carried as cargo.
Unit Load Device (ULD)
A pallet or container Fleet/ULD
Unitization
Consolidation of multiple packages into a registered.
ULD Universal Time Co-ordinate (UTC)
See GMT

Valuable Cargo (VAL)

Special Cargo
Volume
Space as measured in cubic meters or feet (Length x Width x Height)

Weight Charge
A charge based on the weight of the goods being carried.
Wide-bodied Aircraft
A double aisle aircraft capable of carrying ULDs and loose/bulk mail/cargo