Air freight chargeable weight explained

Short answer: air freight is charged on the greater of actual weight and volumetric weight. Volumetric weight is length × width × height in centimetres divided by 6000, which converts the space your cargo occupies into kilograms.

The formula

Volumetric weight (kg) = L(cm) × W(cm) × H(cm) ÷ 6000

Some express operators use 5000 instead of 6000, which produces a higher figure. Standard IATA air freight uses 6000.

Worked examples

Dense cargo: a 40 × 40 × 40 cm box weighing 45 kg. Volumetric = 64,000 ÷ 6000 = 10.7 kg. Actual weight is higher, so you are charged 45 kg.

Light, bulky cargo: a 120 × 80 × 100 cm pallet weighing 60 kg. Volumetric = 960,000 ÷ 6000 = 160 kg. You are charged 160 kg, not 60 kg.

How to reduce chargeable weight

• Remove void space and downsize the carton to the goods
• Flat-pack anything that disassembles
• Use a smaller pallet, or none, where the cargo can be handled safely without one
• Keep pallet height down — pallet base and wrap are included in the measurement
• Do not over-protect: reduce the packing, not the protection

How it is measured in practice

The cargo terminal measures at its widest point, including the pallet, wrap and any overhang, and rounds up. If your declared measurements are under, the air waybill is corrected and the rate goes up — so measure the packed piece, not the goods inside.

Sea freight uses a different logic entirely: LCL is charged on cubic metres or tonnes, whichever is greater.