When speed matters
Air Freight — Speed When It Matters Most
Air freight is the fastest mode of international freight — essential for time-sensitive goods, high-value cargo, and supply chain emergencies where sea freight lead times are not an option. For businesses importing Italian fashion ahead of retail seasons, spare parts for manufacturing lines, or perishable food products, air freight is not a premium — it is a requirement.
Seatram Logistics operates air freight from all major European, Italian, Chinese, and South East Asian air cargo terminals into Sydney Airport and Melbourne Airport. Our in-house customs brokerage ensures your air cargo clears Australian customs the same day it lands — with delivery coordinated to your door.
Italy Transit
2–4 days door-to-door
China Transit
1–3 days door-to-door
Customs
Same-day clearance on arrival
Europe Transit
2–4 days door-to-door
What we offer
Our Air Freight Services
Freighter Service
OOG - Project Cargo
Some cargo is too large, heavy, or awkwardly shaped to fly in the belly hold of a passenger aircraft. For these out-of-gauge and project cargo shipments, we utilise dedicated freighter services instead — aircraft built for oversized loads that passenger services simply cannot carry.
Shared Capacity
Consolidated Air Freight
For smaller air freight shipments that do not fill an entire air cargo unit, consolidation groups your cargo with compatible freight into a shared unit load device (ULD). You pay for your actual weight and volume at competitive rates — cost-effective for regular smaller air imports from Italy or Europe.
Urgent Cargo
Express & Priority Air Freight
For genuine emergencies — a manufacturing line waiting for spare parts, a retail launch with stock arriving late — we access express air freight services with next-day or 48-hour transit where available. We manage the entire process including after-hours customs clearance to keep your timeline intact.
Full Aircraft
Air Charter
For full aircraft loads or situations where scheduled airline capacity is unavailable, we can arrange air charter from Italy and Europe to Australia. We coordinate the charter, load planning, required permits, and Australian customs on arrival.
Is air freight right for you?
When Air Freight Is the Right Choice
Air freight costs more per kilogram than sea freight, but for the right cargo type and urgency level, it is the most cost-effective total-landed-cost decision.
Time-Sensitive Goods
Fashion and luxury goods ahead of retail season launches, replacement machinery parts for a production-critical breakdown, or perishable food products where sea freight transit exceeds shelf life — these situations require air freight regardless of cost.
High-Value Cargo
Cargo worth significantly more than the air freight premium justifies the cost through reduced inventory financing, faster time-to-revenue, and lower insurance exposure during transit. Italian luxury goods, precision instruments, and electronic components are common examples.
Small Volume, High Urgency
A small shipment that would take 6 weeks by LCL sea freight can often be air freighted in 3 days for a cost difference easily justified by the commercial urgency. Air freight is the right call when waiting is more expensive than flying.
Supply Chain Disruption Recovery
When a sea freight shipment is delayed, damaged, or short-shipped, air freight is often the fastest way to recover stock levels and meet customer commitments. Seatram Logistics can arrange emergency air freight at short notice from Italy and Europe.
Common questions
Air Freight Questions
How long does international air freight to Sydney take?
Transit time depends on origin and routing. From Europe (including Italy, Germany, and the UK), door-to-door air freight to Sydney typically takes 2 to 5 days. From China and South East Asia, 2 to 4 days. From the USA, 3 to 5 days. Direct flights are faster; connections via hub airports such as Singapore, Dubai, or Hong Kong add 12 to 24 hours. We confirm the fastest available routing at time of booking and provide estimated arrival windows upfront.
How is air freight charged — actual weight or volumetric weight?
Air freight is charged on chargeable weight — the greater of actual gross weight and volumetric weight. Volumetric weight is calculated as length x width x height (in cm) divided by 6000 for most airlines. Bulky but light cargo such as packaging or garments is almost always charged on volumetric weight. Dense cargo like machinery parts or stone is typically charged on actual weight. We calculate both at quote stage so there are no surprises.
When should I use air freight instead of sea freight?
Air freight is the right choice when speed outweighs cost. Common scenarios include time-sensitive product launches, stockouts needing urgent replenishment, perishable or short-shelf-life goods, high-value cargo where insurance savings offset the freight premium, and emergency recovery when a sea freight shipment is delayed. For regular, non-urgent volumes, sea freight is significantly more cost-effective. We can model the landed cost difference for your specific cargo.
What documentation is required for air freight imports into Australia?
Standard air freight imports require a commercial invoice, packing list, and air waybill. Depending on your goods you may also need a certificate of origin for FTA duty preference, biosecurity declarations, import permits, or product compliance documentation. For dangerous goods, IATA DGR classification and packaging certificates are required. Our in-house customs brokers review your documentation before cargo departs to identify any gaps — avoiding holds or delays on Australian arrival.
Ready when you are
Ready to Move Your Cargo?
Our Sydney-based team handles customs, compliance, and carrier coordination — so you are not managing your forwarder on top of managing your business. Response by the next business day, no obligation.