Cargo Charter
We arrange dedicated freighter and combi aircraft with appropriately licensed cargo operators — AOG parts, production-critical components, dangerous goods, cold chain, relief cargo and outsized single pieces. One cargo desk, one point of contact, from brief to proof of delivery.
A dedicated cargo charter is a whole aircraft contracted for a single consignment or programme. The routing, timing and loading plan are built around your freight rather than around a published network, and the consignment is not consolidated with anyone else's.
Scheduled air freight is usually the sensible choice for routine shipments on dense trunk lanes. A charter becomes the better option when a deadline is genuinely immovable, when capacity on the lane is tight, when the shipment is outsized, restricted or temperature-critical, when it must not be split across flights, or when the destination is not served by regular freighter capacity at all.
SkyBridge Jets is a broker and arranger. Flights are performed by appropriately licensed third-party cargo operators under their own air operator certificate; we source, compare and coordinate on your behalf, and we do not operate aircraft ourselves. For passenger movements alongside freight, see our group charter service, and for sustained capacity rather than single flights, our cargo ACMI and aircraft leasing service.
Mission Types
Aircraft-on-ground components, rotables and tooling moved on a dedicated aircraft when the next available scheduled freighter cannot meet the deadline. Departure timing depends on aircraft and crew availability, airport slots, and overflight and landing permissions.
Production-line recovery for OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers, plus prototype vehicles, tooling and powertrain components where a line stoppage costs more than the lift.
Drilling equipment, BOP components, ROV spares and turbine sections to project sites, including airports with limited handling infrastructure where ramp-loading capability matters.
NGO, UN-agency and government relief movements — shelter, water treatment, medical consumables and cold-chain vaccines — arranged at short notice with operators experienced in constrained airfields.
Lithium batteries, oxidisers, flammable liquids, radioactive materials and similar consignments, subject to operator acceptance, aircraft type, routing approvals, correct classification and packing, and applicable law.
Temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals, clinical trial material and biologics using active or passive containers, with temperature ranges confirmed against the operator's and handler's capability before booking.
Engines, structures and programme-critical equipment moved under controlled handling. Movements are subject to export licensing, end-user documentation, security clearance and government permissions.
Fresh produce, seafood, bloodstock and other live animals where operator approval, welfare requirements, veterinary documentation and destination import rules allow.
Generators, transformers, rotor blades, helicopters and modules that exceed standard door and pallet limits, matched to nose-loading or ramp-loading aircraft after a door and floor-loading assessment.
Outside-broadcast kit, staging, race cars and touring production freight tied to fixed on-site deadlines, often as part of a wider group movement.
Island, Arctic, desert and unpaved-strip destinations where runway length, surface, fuel availability and handling equipment drive the aircraft choice more than payload does.
Weekly production lanes, seasonal relief programmes and multi-month project logistics arranged as a series rather than repeated spot bookings.
Ad-hoc single missions and recurring contract programmes are both arranged. Acceptance of any particular commodity — dangerous goods and live animals especially — always rests with the operating carrier and the authorities on the routing.
Aircraft Selection
| Category | Representative types | Indicative payload |
|---|---|---|
| Small feeder & utility aircraft | Light twin and business-jet freight configurations | Up to approx. 1–2 t |
| Regional turboprop freighters | ATR 72F, Dash 8 freighter conversions | Approx. 8–10 t |
| Narrowbody freighters | 737 freighter conversions, A321F | Approx. 20–28 t |
| Widebody freighters | 767F, A330F, 777F, 747F | Approx. 55–135 t |
| Outsized / ramp-loading heavy lift | Il-76 and An-124 type aircraft | Approx. 40–120 t |
Door aperture, main-deck height and floor-loading capacity decide feasibility for outsized pieces more often than headline payload does. We assess all three against your largest piece before proposing an aircraft.
Before You Enquire
The more of this we have at the first message, the fewer rounds it takes to get a firm, comparable option in front of you. If something is unknown, say so — an approximate figure clearly marked as approximate is more useful than a blank.
How It Works
01
We confirm the commodity, dimensions, weight, deadlines and any dangerous-goods classification, and flag anything that will change the aircraft choice before operators are approached.
02
Door aperture, main-deck height, floor loading, runway length and available ground handling are checked against the largest piece and total payload. Where the nearest airport cannot take the aircraft, we assess alternatives and the road leg.
03
We approach appropriately licensed cargo operators, confirm their acceptance of the commodity, and return options with the trade-offs — aircraft type, positioning time and cost implications — stated plainly.
04
Overflight and landing permits, airport slots and any charter or traffic-rights approvals are applied for by the operating carrier and its agents. SkyBridge Jets coordinates the timetable and keeps you informed of the critical path.
05
Build-up, weighing, air waybill issuance and dangerous-goods documentation are handled by the operating carrier, the cargo handlers and licensed customs agents. We coordinate the chain; formal customs entries are filed by the appointed declarant, not by SkyBridge Jets.
06
Departure, en-route position, arrival and offload updates through to proof of delivery, with a single point of contact for the whole movement.
Cost Structure
We do not publish rates, because a credible cargo charter price only exists once the aircraft, routing and handling plan are known. These are the variables that move it most.
Most cargo charters begin with an empty positioning sector. The distance the aircraft must fly to reach your origin airport is often the largest single cost element.
Whether the consignment is weight-limited or volume-limited determines the aircraft that can carry it — and a part-loaded widebody costs the same as a full one.
Runway length, slot availability, night curfews, parking and the presence or absence of a main-deck loader can force a larger, smaller or differently configured aircraft.
Short-notice movements draw on whatever aircraft and crew are legally available, which narrows the pool and reduces room to optimise cost.
Some routings require permits with fixed lead times or fees, and certain city pairs need specific charter approvals.
Cranes, forklifts, loading ramps, dunnage, escorts and supervised loading are chargeable services that vary widely by airport.
DG acceptance, segregation requirements, temperature control and live-animal welfare all affect crew, documentation and loading time.
Bonded movements, temporary imports and long road legs at either end add cost and, more importantly, time to the door-to-door plan.
Cargo FAQ
AOG and time-critical briefs are worked immediately. The earliest realistic departure depends on which aircraft and crew are legally available and positioned, airport slots and curfews, overflight and landing permits, and any dangerous-goods requirements. Rather than quote a standard turnaround, we confirm a firm departure window with the operating carrier and tell you the constraint that is setting it.
In many cases, yes. Dangerous goods are carried only where the operator's approvals cover the class and quantity involved, the aircraft type and routing permit it, the consignment is correctly classified, packed, marked and documented, and applicable law allows it. We need the UN number, proper shipping name, class, packing group and safety data sheet to check acceptance before quoting. Some classes and quantities are refused by many operators, and we will say so early rather than late.
That depends entirely on which outsized aircraft is genuinely available at the time. Ramp-loading and nose-loading freighters accept single pieces that no standard widebody can take, but the governing limits are the door aperture, the main-deck height, the floor-loading capacity under the piece and the airport's ability to handle the aircraft. Send exact dimensions, weight and the centre-of-gravity position and we will confirm what is feasible rather than what is theoretically possible.
We coordinate the documentation chain — air waybill, dangerous-goods declaration, temporary import paperwork and health or veterinary certificates — working with the operating carrier, the cargo handlers and licensed customs agents at both ends. SkyBridge Jets is a coordinator and arranger, not the customs declarant of record; formal entries are filed by the appointed customs agent under your instructions.
Frequently, yes — it is a large part of relief and energy-sector work. The decision rests on runway length and surface, pavement strength, fuel availability, navigation aids, daylight and handling equipment. Where an aircraft cannot reach the final airport, we plan the nearest viable airport plus a road or rotary leg and set that out clearly in the option.
Yes. Repeating lanes, seasonal relief work and multi-month project logistics are usually better arranged as a programme than as repeated spot charters, because a committed schedule gives operators something to plan around. Where the requirement is sustained capacity rather than individual flights, a cargo ACMI arrangement may suit better — see our ACMI and aircraft leasing service.
For a quote: a packing list with dimensions and weights, and for dangerous goods a safety data sheet and the intended shipper's declaration. For the movement itself: commercial invoice, export documentation, any licences or end-user certificates, and the consignee's customs instructions. You can email these to enquiries@skybridgejets.com after submitting the enquiry form.
Positioning distance, the aircraft type your largest piece forces you into, whether the load is weight- or volume-limited, airport slot and curfew constraints, permit requirements, loading equipment, and any dangerous-goods, security or cold-chain handling. Urgency compresses all of these because it removes the option of waiting for a better-positioned aircraft.
Not always, but it is far more controllable. Scheduled freight can be quick on dense trunk lanes; it becomes unreliable when capacity is tight, when the consignment is outsized or restricted, or when it must be split. A dedicated charter gives you the whole aircraft, a routing built around your deadline and no risk of being offloaded for higher-yield freight.
Cargo Charter Enquiry
Share the route, commodity, pieces, weights, dimensions and deadlines. Packing lists, drawings, safety data sheets and dangerous-goods declarations can be emailed to enquiries@skybridgejets.com once you have submitted — there is no upload on this form.
Send the dimensions, weights and deadline. We will come back with the aircraft options that genuinely fit — and tell you plainly if a charter is not the right answer.