What does airfreight mean?
Airfreight is the transport of goods by aircraft and, by extension, the cargo moved in that way. In commercial and logistics contexts, it is a mass noun for the service or cargo as a whole, while airfreights can refer to individual consignments. The word is especially common in shipping, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and e-commerce, where speed can be more important than low cost. Airfreight is organized around practical limits: shipments must fit available cargo space, comply with security and customs requirements, and balance speed against the high cost of flying. Its use suggests urgency and global reach, but also the environmental and financial cost of transporting relatively small or bulky loads over long distances. For readers, airfreight distinguishes goods moving through the air from freight transported by road, rail, or sea. It is therefore less a decorative compound than a practical logistics term and a useful reminder that transport choices combine time, cost, capacity, and convenience.
nounThe transportation of goods by aircraft, or the cargo carried in that way.
- The transportation of cargo by aircraft, especially as a commercial service.
- Cargo transported by aircraft, considered collectively.
"The company arranged for the replacement parts to go by airfreight."
"Fresh ingredients are delivered by airfreight to restaurants across the country."
"Insurance premiums for high-value airfreight can be substantial."
Less common than the mass noun; used for separate shipments or consignments carried by air.
"The warehouse received three airfreights from different manufacturers."
Airfreight can cross continents overnight, but its economics still turn on how much cargo fits, how far it must go, and what it is worth.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does airfreight come from?
Airfreight developed as a compound in the era of commercial aviation, combining the older words "air" and "freight" to describe transportation by aircraft. "Air" comes through Old French from Latin aer, ultimately from Greek aēr, meaning "air" or "sky." "Freight" comes from Old English fræht, meaning a cargo or load, and the compound's specialized sense became established as aviation developed into a major means of transporting goods.
How airfreight is actually used
Primarily business, trade, and logistics terminology with a neutral, institutional tone. It is normally used as a mass noun for the service or cargo collectively; the plural is less common and refers to separate consignments. The one-word spelling is standard, although the two-word form "air freight" is also widely used.
Easily confused with airfreight
Freight is cargo transported by any mode, whereas airfreight specifically refers to goods transported by aircraft.