QUICK ANSWER An air freight import into the US runs in eight steps, from booking to delivery, and most delays happen on the ground. Vague ACAS data stops cargo before it is loaded, and cargo left at a US terminal past its free time pays storage every day. At Lufthansa Cargo's Dallas, Chicago and Los Angeles stations, free time is 24 or 48 hours, then storage is charged per kilo.
An air freight import takes days instead of weeks, as long as every step on the ground runs on time. As an import-focused forwarder, Platton books air cargo into the US and shows the quote, documents and tracking of every shipment on one AI-driven platform.
When an import should fly
Air pays off for urgent restocks, product launches, samples, and light or high-value cargo. From China, general air freight runs roughly $3.50 to $6.50 per chargeable kilogram (air freight cost) and 5 to 8 days from pickup to delivery on standard service (air freight transit times). Air vs ocean freight weighs the premium, and ocean to air restock covers flying part of an order.
The air import process, step by step
The air import process at a glance
| Step | What happens | Who does it | What you provide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Booking | Flight booked, papers prepared | Forwarder, supplier | Incoterm, exact goods description |
| Pickup | Cargo trucked to the airline terminal | Forwarder | Pickup address |
| Screening and ACAS | Checks before loading | Airline, screening facility | Consignee email and phone, ship-to party |
| Flight | Direct or via a hub | Airline | Nothing |
| Arrival | Terminal or container station | Ground handler | Nothing |
| Customs release | Cargo released or held | CBP, on the importer of record's entry | Invoice, packing list, duties |
| Free time | Storage after it ends | Terminal handler | A fast pickup |
| Delivery | Cargo collected and delivered | Trucker | Dock hours |
Booking the flight and the supplier's paperwork
Agree on FCA with the supplier: FOB passes risk when the goods go on board a vessel, so it does not fit air freight. Get the commercial invoice and packing list with a precise goods description before booking. The rate is billed on chargeable weight, which the chargeable weight calculator works out from the packing list, the booking produces the air waybill, and dangerous goods such as lithium batteries are declared now.
Pickup and export handling at origin
The cargo is trucked from the factory to the forwarder's warehouse or the airline terminal with its export papers. Consolidated cargo that misses the cutoff waits for the next departure.
Screening and the ACAS data CBP checks before loading
TSA requires 100% of cargo on passenger aircraft to be screened (TSA). CBP checks the Air Cargo Advance Screening (ACAS) data, which the inbound airline or another eligible party must send before the cargo is loaded (19 CFR 122.48b).
Since November 21, 2025, ACAS also asks for the consignee's email and phone, the packing or pickup location and the ship-to party (90 FR 52796), with phased enforcement until May 1, 2027 (CSMS # 69486540). Those details come from you. CBP can then issue a referral for information on vague or unverifiable data, or a referral for extra TSA-approved screening. Until the referral is resolved, the cargo does not fly. The ISF covers vessel cargo only.
TAKEAWAY CBP does not accept descriptions such as "general cargo" or "said to contain". Give an exact description and the full consignee details to avoid a referral for information.
The flight and hub transfers
Cargo flies in the belly of passenger aircraft or on freighters. A routing through a hub adds a transfer, and a missed connection usually costs a day. See air freight from China, India, Germany and the UK.
Arrival at the airline terminal or a container station
A direct shipment waits at the airline's import terminal. A consolidation, on one master air waybill, moves to a container station to be broken down into its house air waybills (19 CFR 122.48a).
Customs release at the US airport
The entry can be filed before the aircraft arrives and is due within 15 calendar days of landing (19 CFR 142.2). CBP then releases the cargo or holds it for an exam. Air freight customs clearance follows the same US entry rules as ocean cargo, without the ISF; the customs clearance process guide covers the entry in full.
Which entry an air shipment takes
| Path | When it applies | For the air shipment |
|---|---|---|
| Informal entry | Up to $2,500, except goods over $250 in Chapter 99, Subchapters III and IV (Section 301 among them) | Duties and a flat fee; CBP may require a formal entry |
| Formal entry | Over $2,500, or Chapter 99 goods over $250 | Duties and the Merchandise Processing Fee |
| $800 or less | De minimis suspended for every mode, mail included | Formal or informal entry |
| Food and other agency goods | FDA prior notice; permits or certifications other agencies require | Checked by the agency and enforced by CBP at entry |
De minimis has been suspended for all countries since August 29, 2025 (91 FR 37789). On a formal entry, the Merchandise Processing Fee is 0.3464% of value, $34.58 to $670.86 from October 1, 2026 (fee lines).
Free time and storage charges at the terminal
Lufthansa Cargo publishes its import terms by station:
Lufthansa Cargo import terms for general cargo (sources: DFW, ORD, LAX)
| Station | Free time | Weekends and holidays | Storage after free time | Import terminal charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) | 24 hours from midnight after arrival | Count as storage days | $1 per kg per day, minimum $230 per day per house air waybill | $150 per master air waybill, $150 per house air waybill broken down |
| Chicago O'Hare (ORD) | 48 hours from midnight after arrival | Count as storage days | $0.55 per kg per day, minimum $150 | $215 per master air waybill, $215 per house air waybill broken down |
| Los Angeles (LAX) | 48 hours after arrival | Count as storage days | $0.87 per kg per day, minimum $175 | $215 per air waybill direct, $215 per house air waybill consolidated |
Collect 500 kg at ORD two days late and the storage bill is $550. Cargo with no entry may stay at the airport until the 15th day after landing and keeps adding storage; after that the airline reports it to CBP and a general order warehouse takes it at the consignee's risk and expense (19 CFR 122.50).
Recovery and delivery to your dock
Once the cargo is released and the terminal charges are paid to the handler, a trucker collects it and delivers it against a proof of delivery. Send your dock hours and any liftgate need before the cargo lands.
TAKEAWAY Fit the release, the terminal payment and the truck inside the free time, or storage starts.
Airport-to-airport vs door-to-door air freight
Airport to airport shipping covers only the flight; the door option adds pickup and delivery. Either way, the importer of record answers for the US entry and all duties, taxes and fees (CBP).
What each service covers
| Part of the trip | Airport-to-airport | With pickup and delivery |
|---|---|---|
| Pickup and export at origin | You or your supplier | Included |
| US entry | Importer of record | Importer of record |
| Terminal pickup and delivery | You book the trucker | Included |
| Who connects the hand-offs | You | The forwarder |
| When it fits | You have a US trucker and someone to book the pickups | You want the forwarder to arrange the pickup and the delivery truck |
With Platton, origin pickup and US delivery can be added to any air booking.
Consolidated vs direct air freight
Consolidated air freight puts several shipments on one master air waybill, with a house air waybill for each (master and house air waybills).
Consolidated or direct
| Aspect | Consolidated | Direct |
|---|---|---|
| Air waybill | Master described as "Consolidation", one house per shipment | One, with a precise description or 6-digit HTS number |
| Schedule | The forwarder's departures and cutoff | The flight you book |
| US pickup | Container station after breakdown | Airline terminal |
| Terminal charge at Lufthansa Cargo | Per house air waybill when broken down | Per air waybill |
| Price per kilo | Better weight break from the combined load | Your shipment's own weight break |
| When it fits | Smaller shipments that can meet a cutoff | Urgent or large shipments |
How Platton helps with air freight imports
Platton serves US importers from offices in Seattle, Portland, Chicago and Savannah and is a member of WCA, JCtrans and NCBFAA.
Confirmed space into US gateways
We book air freight with Lufthansa Cargo, Cargolux, Emirates SkyCargo, Qatar Airways Cargo, FedEx, UPS, DHL and major US passenger carriers, with confirmed space at JFK, LAX, ORD, DFW, ATL, Sea-Tac and MIA.
Air consolidations into better weight breaks
Our weekly air consolidations from Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hong Kong and the Vietnam gateways put smaller shipments into better weight breaks. Suppliers pack against a published cutoff.
Supplier documents checked before the flight
With supplier document validation, we collect your supplier's invoice and packing list and review them for anything missing or mismatched before the cargo leaves.
Tracking and live quotes on one platform
Quotes on our AI-driven cargo management platform are instant, with the rate locked at booking. Real-time tracking shows your air shipment on a live map and alerts you when the ETA moves.
Common questions about air freight imports
Who pays the duties and fees on an air import?
The importer of record pays the duties, taxes and fees and answers for the entry, whoever files it. A formal air entry pays the Merchandise Processing Fee, not the Harbor Maintenance Fee. Terminal charges are paid to the handler by the party that collects the cargo.
Will US Customs open an air shipment?
It can. CBP may examine any shipment, and the importer bears the cost of making the goods available. An examined shipment usually moves to a Centralized Examination Station, which bills for its work, transport and storage. See customs hold or exam.
What can't be shipped by air freight?
Some items are forbidden on aircraft. Many everyday goods count as dangerous goods, among them lithium batteries, dry ice, aerosols, perfumes, paints and adhesives. They fly only when classified, packed and marked under the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations, most of them with a shipper's declaration, and the shipper answers for the classification.
Related air freight guides
- Air freight cost: rates by weight break.
- Air freight transit times: days by lane.
- Chargeable weight: the billed kilo.
- Air waybill: the air shipment's core document.
- Customs clearance process: the US entry, step by step.
- First-time importer guide: your first import.
