Advantages of air transport over maritime trade

Air freight has established itself with increasing authority as one of the best alternatives to classic maritime trade. Air express services such as HTG Express offer the option of fast transit, guaranteed delivery and personalised attention.

The paradigm in international trade has been shifting rapidly in recent years. One of the traditional ways of transporting goods for many years has been maritime transport but it´s now giving way to air, despite the fact that the latter has been in existence for less than a century.

As transoceanic freight rates continue to rise, one of the best alternatives is to take to the skies to deliver cargo to its destination. Among the advantages of Airfreight, in addition to its speed and flexibility, is the very fact that it can reach any place on the planet, while maritime trade can only access coasts or at most large waterways.

Price increase in maritime freight rates

One of the main reasons for the massive use of maritime trade has always been the low cost of shipping cargo across the seas. This reality is changing rapidly as, since the beginning of 2020, the cost of transporting a container by ship has tripled, reaching close to three thousand dollars for a twenty-foot container (TEU) and more than five thousand dollars for a forty-foot container. This price increase makes air transport a growing alternative.

Apart from isolated incidents, such as the week-long blockade of the Suez Canal by the container ship Ever Given, this widespread rise in shipping costs is mainly due to the shortage of containers as well as the modern industrial production model.

Nowadays, we consume mainly through online shopping and many of the manufacturing and distribution centres, which are also spread across the globe, produce in real-time as orders come in. This system saturates a transport market that cannot react without prior planning and there is enormous competition for the containers available at a given time.

Air transport as a solution

Inflation factors in sea freight make air freight a competitive alternative, as it´s undoubtedly the fastest option. In sectors where time is critical, such as industry, HTG Express offers a wide range of express air freight services capable of reaching any continent.

• Premium air cargo

In the event that you need an urgent shipment delivered, Premium Air Freight offers added value thanks to priority treatment by airlines and partners we work with. In addition to being able to use the first available aircraft to reach destination, this service can be combined with ground transport to coordinate collection and deliveries directly at the selected destination.

• On board courier

Some goods require additional tracking, due to both their urgency and sensitivity. The on board courier service enables the cargo to be collected and delivered by hand, being personally accompanied by the courier at all times. Such situations, with exceptional speed and care in transport, also ensure that customs formalities are not an obstacle and that the delivery is made with guarantees.

• Charter service

Sectors as demanding as the industrial sector need a plan B in certain cases if a link in the chain fails such as a problem with suppliers or an unforeseen event arises in the factory. In such cases, chartering exclusive aircraft that don´t adhere to commercial schedules is possible, enabling goods to be delivered with unrivalled speed and flexibility. This customised air solution adapts to any special need in terms of size, type of goods or destination.

In addition, the fact that HTG Express is a member of IATA and WCA, enables us to ensure compliance with all international certifications and maintain a guarantee on transit and delivery of all its airfreight goods.