GlossaryEN1 min readUpdated: Jun 12, 2026

Airport Cargo Tariff

An airport or airport operator levies cargo charges for the physical and administrative handling of air cargo.

Quick Answer

Last updated: 12 June 2026Published: 27 January 2026

Source: https://www.freightos.com/glossary/airport-cargo-tariff

Category

Logistics Concept

Reading time

1 min

Words

Mentioned in

–

Definition & Explanation

An airport or airport operator levies cargo charges for the physical and administrative handling of air cargo. These tariffs typically cover costs such as ground services (unloading, movement from aircraft to station), storage per day or hour, security inspections, customs checks, and terminal facility usage. The fee structure varies by cargo type (general goods, dangerous goods, temperature-controlled shipments) and may be volume-tiered. For freight forwarders and shippers, these tariffs represent a significant cost component – often negotiated in service agreements between airport and ground handler, where higher volumes typically attract better rates.

Next steps

Tools that match this term

Find HS codeDetermine the tariff number for customsOpen Calculate customs valueWork out import duties and customs valueOpen Compare IncotermsClarify duties, cost and riskOpen Calculate transit timeEstimate duration per transport modeOpen

Related Terms

You might also be interested in these terms

Air cargo security control

Before an air cargo pallet is loaded onto an aircraft, it passes through at least one security control – often several, distribute…

Learn more

Air Cargo Management Systems

The core benefit of air cargo management systems is consolidating booking administration, shipment tracking, documentation, and bi…

Learn more

Free Zone Airport

A free zone airport is a facility located within a designated free trade or free zone territory, offering broader duty and tax exe…

Learn more

airport operator

When a freight forwarder books air cargo capacity and receives slot windows, handling fees, and security requirements from the air…

Learn more

Airport Cargo Charges

Airport cargo charges are fees imposed by airport operators or contracted handling agents for processing, storing, and securing ai…

Learn more

Airport Cargo Build Up

Airport Cargo Build-Up is the operational process that transforms accepted shipments into organized, ready-to-load flight configur…

Learn more

Logistics knowledge straight to your inbox

Weekly: Top news, industry facts and insights from the world of logistics – free.

Airport Cargo Tariff

Next steps

Related Terms

Air cargo security control

Air Cargo Management Systems

Free Zone Airport

airport operator

Airport Cargo Charges

Airport Cargo Build Up

Logistics knowledge straight to your inbox

Community Questions & Answers