Air charter solutions are less common than other urgent shipping methods. Discover how to organize an air charter delivery without running into problems:

1. Getting the right aircraft to contain costs

Air Time Critical® always aims to give you value for money. In some cases, a pallet 10cm taller could mean an additional 10,000 euros as you would need a larger cargo door and therefore a much larger aircraft. With our client’s interest at heart, we will explore ways of reducing cargo dimensions by breaking down the pallets in smaller units to fit in a lighter aircraft. We will also suggest you only fly with enough material to secure the production and dispatch the remaining cargo by road to further reduce delivery costs.

Choose a company that works in your best interest and for your overall satisfaction, especially for important decisions like chartering an aircraft.

2. Price: avoid surprises

Is the cheaper quote really all-inclusive? It is a common practice among charter operators to add a long list of extra charges to your invoice, inflating the original price by 10 to 20%. You think you’re getting a great deal but the operator was only referring to the plane, nothing more. What about airport opening, cargo terminal charges, goods inspection, overnight staff, documentation fees, heavy shipment handling… Always make sure you are crystal clear about what is included or not.

Our prices always reflect the reality. No hidden costs.

3. Transit time: be realistic

Do you have two options with the same departure airport but different delivery times? The faster option could simply promise the best possible transit time in order to get the job. However, the ideal scenario almost never happens and then you only get excuses. We believe that being realistic is honest and fair to our clients.

Our scheduled delivery time always includes a realistic estimate for all operations involved in an air charter mission.

4. For emergencies, go to a specialist

It might sound convenient to use your regular forwarding company which offers air charter as an add-on to their road solutions. But can they really focus on your shipment for several hours during the night when they are busy monitoring a fleet of trucks all over Europe? Do they master air freight operations and airport specificities as a specialist would do?

When the stakes are high, go to a specialist – the situation deserves it. 

5. Be prepared to act quickly 

Even the fastest, cheapest, most reliable solution requires your company’s go-ahead. The range of options available usually decreases as the day goes by. A delayed decision could mean that a suitable plane is no longer available, or an airport is closed, leading to a delay in delivery.

If you have long internal processes, it is crucial to advise your management that a quick decision will guarantee more options.