Air Transportation – When is it Worth Choosing Air Delivery?
The transportation of goods by air is currently less often used than road or rail transport, but in certain situations, it is the most advantageous solution. We present the advantages and disadvantages of this option over other popular ways of transporting cargo.
The main advantages of air transport
Taking into account accident statistics for various transportation modes, the airplane is one of the safest solutions. Although possible accidents can be catastrophic in their consequences, their percentage is marginal. According to a report prepared by The International Air Transport Association (IATA), in 2022, the accident rate in aviation was 1.01 (1 accident per 0.99 million flights).
Safety also applies to the cargo, to which only flight attendants and airport staff can access it. Due to the strict security procedures in place at airports, it is only possible for third parties who are authorized to do so to access the cargo.
There is also the issue of the almost unlimited range of delivery by air. Both domestic and international flights are available, made possible by a network of airports spread over nearly all major cities worldwide. The availability of airports also reduces the need for intermediate flights, where reloading goods from one aircraft to another is necessary.
It is also worth mentioning that airplanes can reach places where it is impossible for road or sea transport through poor geographical conditions, such as mountainous terrain, lack of access to the sea, or an insufficiently developed network of local roads.
Air transportation is also one of the fastest methods today for transporting both people and goods. If the guarantee of achieving a business goal is the express transportation of cargo, the airway may be the fastest option – faster than truck, rail, or ship.
Aviation procedures assume that machines must be tracked from when they take off until they land safely at the destination airport. This means that the investor can monitor the status of the transport order at all times, keeping his hand on the pulse. This, in turn, will make it easier to organize the next steps of the supply chain, i.e., picking up cargo from the airport and transporting it to its destination.
Barring any external factors, aircraft can also be relied upon for timeliness. Delays may concern the departure, which may be postponed for logistical or security reasons. In the air, however, there is no question of traffic jams or obstructions on the road – so everything should occur according to the predetermined timeframe.
Carriage by air is also sometimes recommended for goods sensitive to damage in transit. With proper protection, there is no risk of shocks (such as with road transport) or prolonged contact with moisture (as with sea transport), which could impair the properties of the transported cargo. This can be a significant factor, if only for transporting perishable food.
When is air transportation not a recommended option?
Despite its many undeniable advantages, transporting goods by air is only a solution with disadvantages. The biggest of these is undoubtedly the relatively high cost concerning other modes of transportation. It is necessary to pay for the rental of an aircraft with personnel, as well as for the use of airport infrastructure and an additional source of transportation to carry cargo from the tarmac to the destination. For this reason, this option proves economical, most often only for long distances.
It is also worth bearing in mind the possible limitations of aircraft design. If a cargo of non-standard size or weight is involved, such an option may not be feasible. Considering that the lifting capacity limits of modern transport aircraft reach as high as 25 tons, restrictions in this regard will probably affect a small percentage of cargo.
It should also be remembered that aircraft are dependent on the weather. A violent storm, snowstorm, or gale can stop a plane in its tracks, causing delays in transportation, which can translate into high losses.
Organizing air transportation – what to pay attention to?
Organizing air transportation on their own can prove to be quite a challenge for inexperienced investors. To avoid problems in planning this process, it is worth using professional help from a company that offers, among other things, international air cargo services.
Deciding on this solution, you can count on a service perfectly tailored to the specific needs of the principal. After analysing them and determining the characteristics of the cargo, the optimal solution will be proposed, allowing not only to carry out the carriage as planned but also to do it most economically.
