Air freight is the transport of cargo by aircraft, offering the fastest transit times of any mode but at significantly higher cost, making it practical in food and agri trade mainly for samples, urgent consignments or high-value, low-volume goods.
In trade practice
In Ukrainian food and agri exports to the EU, air freight is used almost exclusively for product samples sent to buyers or laboratories, rather than commercial volumes. Bulk frozen fruit, grains, honey and oils move by road or sea because air rates make large consignments uneconomical. When samples are shipped by air, exporters must still comply with phytosanitary and customs documentation requirements, and temperature-sensitive samples may need insulated packaging with coolant. Freight forwarders handling air shipments will require an air waybill rather than a bill of lading.
In a specification
Air freight is rarely written into bulk supply contracts; where it appears, it is typically limited to sample shipments, with the mode, carrier and maximum transit time stated alongside documentation requirements.