Narrow-body limit
On A320 / B737 belly space to the smaller Indian airports, a single piece over roughly 100 cm high or 80 kg becomes difficult. Tell us the biggest piece before booking.
The reference material we send customers most often, on one page. Free to use, no sign-up.
Air freight is billed on whichever is greater: actual gross weight, or volumetric weight. Enter your carton details and see which one applies before you ask for a rate.
Aircraft run out of space long before they run out of payload. That is why a 120 kg shipment of foam packaging costs the same as 400 kg of machine parts — the airline charges you for the room you take up.
Standard air cargo unit load devices. Use these to sanity-check whether an oversized piece will fit before you build the crate.
| Type | IATA code | Base (cm) | Usable height (cm) | Approx. volume | Typical aircraft |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LD3 container | AKE | 156 × 153 | 163 | ~4.3 m³ | Wide-body lower deck |
| LD2 container | DPE | 156 × 119 | 163 | ~3.4 m³ | B767 lower deck |
| LD1 container | AKC | 234 × 153 | 163 | ~4.9 m³ | B747/B777 lower deck |
| LD7 pallet | PAG / P1P | 318 × 224 | 163 (lower deck) | ~10 m³ | Wide-body lower deck |
| PMC pallet | P6P | 318 × 244 | 163 / 244 / 300 | ~11–22 m³ | Lower or main deck |
| AMA container | AMA | 318 × 244 | 244 | ~17.5 m³ | Main deck freighter |
Figures are the widely used industry standards and are for planning only — usable height, contour and maximum gross weight vary by aircraft type and by carrier. Confirm with us before crating anything over 150 cm high or 300 kg per piece.
On A320 / B737 belly space to the smaller Indian airports, a single piece over roughly 100 cm high or 80 kg becomes difficult. Tell us the biggest piece before booking.
Anything over 163 cm high has to go on a freighter main deck. Fewer flights, higher rate, longer lead time — plan an extra 2–3 days.
Wooden crates for India must be ISPM 15 heat treated and stamped. Untreated wood is a guaranteed hold at destination.
Get these in place before the cargo flies. Every item on the "stops the shipment" list below is something we have seen hold cargo at an Indian airport.
| Problem | What happens | How to avoid it |
|---|---|---|
| AD code not registered at that port | Bill of Entry cannot be filed; cargo sits in bond accruing demurrage | Confirm the port before booking, not after arrival |
| Undervalued invoice | Customs assesses its own value, adds penalty, may seize | Declare the real transaction value |
| Missing BIS for electronics | Goods refused entry or destroyed | Check the product against the BIS list before production |
| Battery declared as general cargo | Offloaded at origin or seized at arrival | Declare it; we route it on a channel that accepts it |
| Untreated wooden packing | Fumigation ordered at destination, days lost | ISPM 15 stamped wood, or plywood/plastic pallets |
| Description too vague | Examination ordered, delay of 2–5 days | Specific commodity description plus correct HS code |
Which UN number applies decides which airlines will take your cargo, and at what rate.
| UN no. | What it covers |
|---|---|
| UN3480 | Lithium ion batteries shipped on their own |
| UN3481 | Lithium ion batteries in, or packed with, equipment |
| UN3090 | Lithium metal batteries shipped on their own |
| UN3091 | Lithium metal batteries in, or packed with, equipment |
All four are Class 9 dangerous goods. Every shipment needs a UN38.3 test summary and an MSDS, and standalone cells (UN3480 / UN3090) are the hardest to place — build in extra lead time.
The four we see on China–India air shipments, and who pays what.
| Term | Seller pays up to | Buyer pays |
|---|---|---|
| EXW | Nothing — goods at the factory | Everything from the door |
| FOB | Export clearance at origin | Freight, insurance, import duty, delivery |
| CIF / CIP | Freight and insurance to destination | Import duty, clearance, delivery |
| DAP | Delivery to the buyer's address | Import duty and IGST only |
| DDP | Everything, duty included | Nothing |
Note: DDU is not an Incoterms 2020 term — it was replaced by DAP in 2010. Plenty of people in this trade still say DDU and mean DAP. Put DAP on the invoice.
Blank templates and reference sheets. Ask us if you need a version pre-filled for your product.
Put the real files in assets/downloads/ and point these links at them once you have them.
Send us a photo of the cartons and a one-line description. That is usually enough for us to tell you the route, the paperwork and the price.