Air freight pricing is based on chargeable weight, not simply the physical weight of your cargo. Chargeable weight is whichever is greater between actual weight and volumetric (dimensional) weight — a calculation that exists because air cargo space is constrained by both weight and volume, not weight alone.
Volumetric weight is typically calculated as (length × width × height in centimeters) ÷ 6000, giving a result in kilograms. Light, bulky cargo — packaging-heavy consumer goods, for example — often has a volumetric weight well above its actual weight, and it is the volumetric figure that gets charged.
Dense cargo, like machinery components or metal parts, usually has the opposite relationship: actual weight exceeds volumetric weight, so actual weight is what gets charged.
Knowing which figure will apply before booking helps avoid a pricing surprise. If you are unsure whether your cargo is likely to be charged on actual or volumetric weight, sending dimensions and weight together when requesting a quote lets us calculate this accurately upfront rather than after booking.