Air freight out of Cochin International, and via Chennai or Bengaluru where the routing or the rate is better. Most of our air volume is seafood and spices going out, and urgent spares coming in for plants that cannot afford to stand still.
When air is the right answer
Air freight costs multiples of sea. It earns that when the cargo is perishable, when it is high value relative to its weight, or when the cost of not having it exceeds the cost of flying it.
| Situation | Usually |
|---|---|
| Chilled or short shelf-life produce | Air |
| A plant is down waiting on a part | Air, and the freight is the cheap part |
| High value, low weight — samples, instruments, electronics | Air |
| Dense raw material — rubber, carbon black, paper | Sea, effectively always |
| Bulky and light — coir, packaging | Sea, since air prices volume against you |
| Frozen product on a planned programme | Sea in reefers, with air for gaps and trials |
What we move
- Perishable exports — chilled and fresh seafood, produce and spice samples, with the cool chain held to the aircraft door.
- General cargo — consolidated and direct, ex Cochin and via the southern gateways.
- Urgent spares — next-flight-out where a line is stopped.
- Dangerous goods — packed, marked and declared to IATA requirements, with the shipper's declaration prepared correctly the first time.
- Airport clearance — customs handling at the air cargo complex at both ends of the move.
Chargeable weight, explained
Airlines charge on whichever is greater: the actual weight of the shipment, or its volumetric weight. This catches people out constantly, because a light but bulky consignment can be charged at several times what the scale says.
The standard volumetric calculation for air freight is:
length (cm) × width (cm) × height (cm) ÷ 6000 = volumetric weight in kg
So a carton measuring 60 × 40 × 50 cm has a volumetric weight of 20 kg. If it actually weighs 8 kg, you are charged for 20. If it weighs 30 kg, you are charged for 30.
On air shipments, an oversized carton with void fill is money spent on shipping air. Before a regular air programme starts, it is worth measuring your standard cartons and checking whether they are volumetric or actual weight. Sometimes a smaller box pays for itself on the first consignment.
Cochin, Chennai and Bengaluru
Cochin International is the natural gateway for Kerala and is where most of our air cargo moves. For some destinations the connection, the capacity or the rate out of Chennai or Bengaluru is materially better, and the road leg south is worth it.
We look at both rather than defaulting to the nearest airport. For a time-critical part, the flight that actually departs tonight beats the airport that is closer.
Perishables out of Kerala
Seafood is the demanding one. The cool chain has to hold from the processing plant to the aircraft, the health and inspection paperwork has to travel with the consignment, and the booking has to survive the fact that catch volumes are not predictable.
We work backwards from the flight: what time the cargo must reach the terminal, what time it must leave the plant, and what documentation must be complete before either. For exporters shipping to the UK, the tariff position under CETA has changed since July 2026 and is worth reviewing alongside the logistics.
Common questions
How is air freight charged?
On chargeable weight, which is the greater of actual weight and volumetric weight. Volumetric weight is length by width by height in centimetres divided by 6000. Bulky light cargo is charged on volume, which surprises most first-time air shippers.
Can you handle air exports of chilled seafood from Cochin?
Yes, this is a substantial part of our air volume. The work is in the cool chain and the certification, not the booking. We plan backwards from the flight so the cargo and the paperwork arrive together.
Do you arrange dangerous goods shipments by air?
Yes, packed, marked and declared to IATA requirements. Get in touch before packing rather than after, because DG errors found at the terminal mean the shipment does not fly and the packaging often has to be redone.
Is it worth trucking to Chennai or Bengaluru instead of flying from Kochi?
Sometimes. For certain destinations the capacity, connection or rate justifies the road leg. For a time-critical spare it usually comes down to which flight actually departs first. We check both rather than assuming.