What is air freight?
Air freight is the transport of goods by aircraft, the fastest mode of international shipping. It moves cargo between airports on scheduled passenger flights (in the belly hold), on dedicated freighters, or on chartered aircraft, typically delivering in days where ocean shipping takes weeks. Air freight is the right choice for time-sensitive, high-value, perishable or emergency shipments, and GHO Express has booked, consolidated and cleared air cargo through Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport since 1971.
As a forwarder with offices at the airport’s LAT Building in Cargo Village, we sit where the cargo is. That proximity, combined with five decades of relationships with airlines and handling agents, lets us secure capacity and move shipments quickly even when space is tight.
Air freight services we provide
- Export air freight, from collection anywhere in Lebanon, through export customs clearance, to flight booking and air waybill issuance.
- Import air freight, inbound shipments to Beirut, including customs clearance and onward delivery within Lebanon.
- Consolidation (groupage), combining several smaller consignments onto one air waybill to lower the per-kilo cost.
- Air charters, full or part charters for oversized, urgent or project shipments that cannot wait for scheduled capacity. See all-mode charters.
- Dangerous goods (DGR), IATA-compliant handling, declarations and packaging.
- Cool-chain air cargo, temperature-controlled handling for pharmaceuticals and perishable logistics.
How an air freight shipment works
- Quote and booking. You give us origin, destination, weight, dimensions and commodity. We quote the chargeable weight and the best routing, then book the space.
- Collection and packing. We collect the cargo and, where needed, provide export-grade packing and crating.
- Export customs clearance. Our brokers handle Lebanese export formalities, see customs clearance.
- Air waybill and uplift. We issue the air waybill, tender the cargo to the airline, and the shipment flies.
- Arrival and import clearance. At destination, our agent network manages import clearance and final delivery to the consignee’s door.
Air vs. sea freight, choosing the right mode
Air freight wins on speed, security and reliability for smaller, urgent or valuable consignments. Sea freight wins on cost for large or heavy volumes that are not time-critical. A practical rule: as cargo gets heavier and less urgent, ocean becomes more economical. Many of our clients split shipments, air for the urgent portion, sea for the rest. If your cargo is large or cost-sensitive, compare with our sea freight service.
Documentation checklist
For a typical export you should prepare:
- Commercial invoice
- Packing list
- Air waybill (issued by GHO Express)
- Certificate of origin (where required)
- Export licence or permits (commodity-dependent)
- Dangerous-goods declaration (for DGR cargo)
- Phytosanitary or health certificates (for perishables)
We confirm the exact list for your commodity and destination before booking, so nothing stalls your shipment at the airport.
Coverage
Our physical operations are in Lebanon, our Beirut headquarters and our airport cargo office. From there we ship to and from destinations worldwide through our global partner and agent network, handling the Lebanon trade lane in both directions. Whether you are exporting from Beirut or importing into Lebanon, we manage the air leg end to end.
Why GHO Express for air freight
- Since 1971, five decades of air-cargo experience through Beirut.
- On-site at the airport, an office in Cargo Village for hands-on handling.
- FIDI member, international quality standards across our operations.
- Global network, agents and partners worldwide for true door-to-door service.
Ready to move time-sensitive cargo? Request a quote with your origin, destination and cargo details, and our team will reply with the fastest reliable routing and a clear chargeable-weight price.
Related services
Frequently asked questions
How long does air freight from Lebanon take?
Most air freight shipments from Beirut reach major Middle East and European gateways within 1-3 days of departure, and intercontinental destinations within 2-5 days. Total door-to-door time also depends on pickup, customs clearance and final delivery, typically 3-7 working days. Express and direct-flight options can be faster.
What documents do I need to ship air cargo from Lebanon?
You generally need a commercial invoice, a packing list, and the air waybill (which we issue). Depending on the goods you may also need a certificate of origin, an export licence, and product-specific certificates (for example phytosanitary or dangerous-goods declarations). Our team confirms the exact checklist for your shipment before booking.
How is air freight cost calculated?
Airlines charge on the greater of actual gross weight or volumetric (dimensional) weight. Volumetric weight is calculated as length × width × height in centimetres divided by 6,000. Because air space is priced on this 'chargeable weight', dense cargo ships economically while light, bulky cargo costs more, we advise on packing to keep your rate efficient.
Can GHO Express handle dangerous goods and temperature-sensitive air cargo?
Yes. We arrange IATA-compliant dangerous-goods shipments with the correct declarations and packaging, and we coordinate cool-chain handling for pharmaceuticals and perishables. For chilled or frozen goods, see our perishable logistics service, which pairs naturally with air freight.
Do you offer door-to-door air freight or only airport-to-airport?
Both. We can quote airport-to-airport if you handle your own pickup and delivery, or full door-to-door including export customs clearance in Lebanon, the flight, import clearance and final delivery at destination through our global agent network.
What Incoterms work best for air freight?
Common choices are EXW, FCA, CPT, CIP, DAP and DDP. For air cargo, FCA (Free Carrier) is often the cleanest split of responsibility, while DAP or DDP suit buyers who want a delivered price. We help you pick the Incoterm that matches who controls and pays for each leg.