{"id":594,"date":"2026-01-15T12:37:50","date_gmt":"2026-01-15T12:37:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev1.dwone.com.br\/?p=594"},"modified":"2026-01-22T20:24:45","modified_gmt":"2026-01-22T20:24:45","slug":"por-que-o-preco-do-frete-aereo-varia-tanto","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev1.dwone.com.br\/en\/por-que-o-preco-do-frete-aereo-varia-tanto\/","title":{"rendered":"Why does the price of air freight vary so much?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Air\u00a0<\/span>cargo transport<\/span><\/b>\u00a0is one of the most strategic pillars of modern international trade. It connects markets, accelerates supply chains, and ensures that high-value or sensitive products reach their destination with speed and security.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But a frequent question among shippers, companies, and logistics partners is:\u00a0<\/span>why does the cost of air freight vary so much?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

According to\u00a0<\/span>IATA<\/span><\/a>,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/b>global demand for air cargo grew\u00a0<\/span>2.9% in September of this year<\/span><\/b>, marking the\u00a0<\/span>seventh consecutive month of expansion<\/span><\/b>. In Brazil,\u00a0<\/span>ANAC<\/span><\/a>\u00a0(National Civil Aviation Agency) also points to constant growth in cargo movement, driven by the need for\u00a0<\/span>short deadlines and reliable transport<\/span><\/b>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

However, this same dynamic that drives the sector also makes it sensitive to various factors that directly influence the\u00a0<\/span>price of air freight<\/span><\/b>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Fuel: the main cost component<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Fuel is one of the items that most impact the cost of air freight, representing up to\u00a0<\/span>40% of an airline’s operating costs<\/span><\/b>. Fluctuations in oil prices directly influence the value of the service, since part of these variations is passed on to shippers through\u00a0<\/span>fuel surcharges<\/span><\/b>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Tip:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0monitoring oil market trends and planning shipments in advance can help reduce the impact of price fluctuations and optimize logistics costs.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Airport fees and government charges<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Landing,\u00a0<\/span>storage, import, and security fees<\/span><\/b>, added to\u00a0<\/span>customs charges<\/span><\/b>, vary according to the airport of origin and destination. In addition,\u00a0<\/span>international cargo transport<\/span><\/b>\u00a0is subject to environmental standards, sanitary requirements, and special inspections that can generate additional costs or delays.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      Therefore,\u00a0<\/span>relying on experienced freight forwarders<\/span><\/b>\u00a0is essential to manage these variables and ensure fluidity in the logistics process.<\/span><\/p>\n

      <\/span><\/p>\n

        \n
      1. Weight, volume, and type of merchandise<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Air\u00a0<\/span>freight is calculated based on actual weight or volumetric weight (cubage)<\/span><\/b>,\u00a0with the greater of the two prevailing.\u00a0<\/span>Cubage<\/span><\/b>\u00a0considers the space occupied by the cargo inside the aircraft, taking into account dimensions (length \u00d7 width \u00d7 height).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

        In practice, this means that\u00a0<\/span>a light but bulky cargo<\/span><\/b>\u00a0can generate a high cost due to the space it occupies in the compartment, even if it weighs little.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

        Furthermore,\u00a0<\/span>fragile, dangerous, or high-value goods<\/span><\/b>\u00a0demand special handling, additional insurance, and, in some cases, specific compartments\u00a0\u2013\u00a0factors that also affect the final price.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

        Tip:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0investing in\u00a0<\/span>smart packaging and space optimization<\/span><\/b>\u00a0can significantly reduce the cost per kilo transported, avoiding unnecessary charges for volume.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

        \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

          \n
        1. Urgency and delivery deadlines<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          The urgency of delivery is another decisive factor. The faster the shipment needs to occur, the\u00a0<\/span>higher the freight cost tends to be<\/span><\/b>,\u00a0especially\u00a0when there is a need for boarding prioritization or space reservation on specific flights.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

          Planning shipments with\u00a0<\/span>flexible delivery windows<\/span><\/b>\u00a0can result in significant savings without compromising operation reliability.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

          \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

            \n
          1. Seasonality and market conditions<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            High\u00a0<\/span>demand in specific periods<\/span><\/b>, such as Black Friday, Christmas, or major international events, puts pressure on airline capacity and raises rates.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

            Likewise, periods of\u00a0<\/span>economic growth<\/span><\/b>\u00a0increase competition for space, while recessions tend to reduce prices.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

            Monitoring market trends and\u00a0<\/span>aligning logistics strategies with seasonality<\/span><\/b>\u00a0allows companies to anticipate variations and maintain cost predictability.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

            \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

              \n
            1. Technology and capacity management<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

              Technological\u00a0<\/span>innovations<\/span><\/b>\u00a0are transforming air cargo transport.<\/span>
              \nTools for\u00a0<\/span>real-time traceability<\/span><\/b>,\u00a0<\/span>document digitization<\/span><\/b>,\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>process automation<\/span><\/b>\u00a0increase efficiency and reduce operational errors.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

              On the other hand, companies that adopt\u00a0<\/span>intelligent capacity management<\/span><\/b>\u00a0manage to balance supply and demand, offering more competitive rates even in fluctuating scenarios.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

              \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

              Air freight: a strategic investment<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

              Although\u00a0<\/span>air cargo transport<\/span><\/b>\u00a0is not the most economical mode, its benefits frequently outweigh the costs:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>
              \n<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

              Air\u00a0cargo transport\u00a0is one of the most strategic pillars of modern international trade. It connects markets, accelerates supply chains, and ensures…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":595,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-594","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev1.dwone.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/594","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev1.dwone.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev1.dwone.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev1.dwone.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev1.dwone.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=594"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/dev1.dwone.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/594\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":637,"href":"https:\/\/dev1.dwone.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/594\/revisions\/637"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev1.dwone.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/595"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev1.dwone.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=594"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev1.dwone.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=594"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev1.dwone.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=594"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}