What is the difference between air cargo and air freight?

1, Definition and Business Scope
Air freight mainly refers to the transportation of goods by airplane, which is an important mode of transportation in international trade. The characteristics of air transportation are fast speed, long transportation distance, large capacity, and high reliability, especially suitable for goods with urgent time requirements or cross-border transportation needs. Air freight companies not only provide cargo transportation services, but may also cover various aviation services such as passenger plane transportation and charter flights, forming a more comprehensive service system.
Air freight specifically refers to companies or services that primarily engage in the transportation of goods. These types of companies focus on cargo transportation, using cargo planes or passenger aircraft belly compartments for large-scale, high-volume cargo transportation. The business scope of air freight companies is relatively more focused, mainly serving goods with specific requirements for transportation timeliness, safety, and loading capacity.
2, Cargo capacity and cabin door design
In terms of cargo capacity, the cargo loading capacity of air freight companies is significantly greater than that of air freight companies mainly based on passenger planes. Cargo planes are designed specifically for the transportation of goods, and their cabin doors are usually larger in size to facilitate the loading and unloading of large or bulk cargo. For example, the width of the cargo door may exceed 2 meters and the height may exceed 3 meters, which significantly improves the loading efficiency and flexibility of cargo.
In contrast, air freight companies mainly focus on passenger planes, and their cabin door designs take into account passengers' boarding and disembarking as well as luggage check-in. Therefore, the cabin door size is relatively small, and the cargo loading capacity is relatively limited.
3, Loading method of goods
There are also significant differences in the loading methods of goods between air freight companies and air freight companies. Air freight companies usually use professional lift platform trucks to transport goods to the cabin door height, and then use equipment such as rollers to transport the goods into the aircraft cabin. This method is more suitable for loading large and heavy goods, ensuring the efficiency and safety of cargo transportation.
Air freight companies usually use luggage trailers to transport checked baggage from the terminal to the apron, and then the baggage is transported onto the plane by luggage conveyors. This approach places more emphasis on the convenience and efficiency of passenger luggage, but it may be inadequate when dealing with large or heavy cargo.
4, Freight calculation and service types
In terms of freight calculation, air freight companies usually use the weight of goods as the basis for billing, which is more suitable for goods with heavier weight. Due to the large loading capacity and high transportation efficiency of cargo planes, billing by weight can better reflect the actual transportation cost of goods.
The freight charges of air freight companies are calculated based on different types of services, such as distance, time, flight, etc. This billing method is more flexible and diverse, and can meet the needs of different customer groups. But this also means that air freight companies have a wider range of service types, including passenger plane transportation, charter services, etc. in addition to cargo transportation.
5, Application scenarios and market demand
There are also differences in application scenarios and market demand between air cargo and air freight. Due to its fast, safe, and reliable characteristics, air transportation has been widely used in international trade, e-commerce, emergency rescue, and other fields. Especially for time sensitive goods such as fresh food and medical equipment, air freight is the preferred mode of transportation.
Air freight, on the other hand, serves more industries and enterprises that have specific requirements for transportation timeliness, safety, and loading capacity. For example, the transportation of high value-added goods such as high-tech products, precision instruments, and business documents relies more on air freight companies.