How Air Freight Cost Is Calculated (Chargeable Weight Explained)

Air freight quotes often surprise first-time shippers because airlines don't simply charge by weight. They charge by chargeable weight, which takes the size of your cargo into account.

Actual weight vs volumetric weight

• Actual weight is what the cargo weighs on the scale, in kilograms.
• Volumetric weight reflects the space it takes up: length × width × height in centimetres ÷ 6,000.

The chargeable weight is whichever of the two is higher.

Worked examples

A heavy box: 50 × 40 × 30 cm, weighing 25 kg. Volumetric weight = 50 × 40 × 30 ÷ 6,000 = 10 kg. Chargeable weight = 25 kg (actual is higher).

A light, bulky box: 100 × 80 × 60 cm, weighing 20 kg. Volumetric weight = 100 × 80 × 60 ÷ 6,000 = 80 kg. Chargeable weight = 80 kg, four times the actual weight.

What else is in an air freight quote

• The airline's rate per chargeable kilo (lower per kilo at higher weight breaks)
• Fuel and security surcharges
• Terminal handling at origin and destination
• Documentation and customs clearance
• Delivery from the airport

How to pay less

• Pack tightly and avoid oversized cartons.
• Combine shipments to reach a better weight break.
• Use consolidated services when you are not in a rush.
• For heavy, non-urgent cargo, compare sea freight.

Send us your carton sizes and weights and we will work out the chargeable weight and quote for air freight into or out of Lagos.