Open any air freight quote and the largest number on the page is almost always AFR. It sits above the fuel surcharge, the security surcharge, and the flat fees — yet shippers routinely accept it without understanding what it actually prices, or why the same route can generate a different AFR from one week to the next. This guide breaks down what AFR is, how it's calculated, and what causes it to move.
What is AFR (air freight rate)?
AFR stands for Air Freight Rate — the base per-kilogram charge an airline or forwarder applies to move your cargo, before fuel, security, and documentation fees are added. It is calculated against your shipment's chargeable weight, not simply the weight on a scale, and it forms the largest single line item on almost every air cargo quote.
Everything else on an air quote is built on top of AFR. Fuel surcharge (FSC) and security surcharge (SSC) are typically quoted per chargeable kg alongside it, so when AFR moves, the shipment's whole cost base shifts with it — not just one line.
How AFR is calculated
AFR is calculated as a rate per kilogram multiplied by the shipment's chargeable weight:
Freight charge = AFR (rate per kg) × Chargeable weight (kg)
Chargeable weight is the greater of actual gross weight and volumetric weight, where volumetric weight is derived from the cargo's dimensions using the IATA-standard divisor of 6,000 (length × width × height in cm, divided by 6,000). For bulky, low-density cargo, volumetric weight usually exceeds actual weight, and it becomes the base AFR is charged against — which is why two shipments of identical actual weight can generate very different freight charges depending on how densely they're packed. The free cargo calculator computes both figures — actual gross weight and volumetric weight — from your carton or pallet dimensions, so you know which one an AFR quote will be based on before you book.
Weight break brackets
AFR is not one flat number per lane — it steps down as chargeable weight increases, reflecting the airline's lower per-kg handling cost on larger, denser shipments. General cargo tariffs are commonly structured in weight brackets:
| Minimum charge (M) | A flat floor charge applied to very small shipments, regardless of weight |
|---|---|
| -45 kg | Base general cargo rate, applied below the first weight break |
| +45 kg | Lower per-kg rate once chargeable weight passes 45 kg |
| +100 kg / +300 kg / +500 kg | Progressively lower per-kg rates at each higher break |
The exact thresholds and per-kg figures vary by carrier, lane, and market conditions, so treat this structure as illustrative rather than a fixed table to quote from. The practical implication is straightforward: consolidating a shipment to just clear the next weight break can sometimes lower the total charge, even though the chargeable weight itself increased. It's worth asking your forwarder whether that trade-off applies to your shipment, rather than working out the brackets manually from a published tariff sheet.
What moves AFR up or down
AFR is not a static published number — it responds to the same supply-and-demand pressures as any freight capacity market. A 40–60 word capsule can't capture every driver, so here are the main ones shippers should watch.
- Available belly and freighter capacity. Air cargo moves in the belly holds of passenger aircraft and on dedicated freighters. When passenger schedules are cut or freighter capacity is reallocated, available space tightens and AFR rises on the affected lane.
- Seasonality. Peak periods — pre-holiday retail season, certain agricultural export windows — compress capacity against demand and push AFR up; shoulder seasons typically ease it back down.
- Lane and direction. Rates differ by origin–destination pair and even by direction on the same pair, since cargo demand is rarely balanced in both directions.
- Fuel cost trends. While fuel is billed separately as FSC, sustained fuel cost pressure also feeds into how carriers set base AFR levels over time.
- Commodity class. Dangerous goods, live animals, and other special-handling cargo attract class rates above the general cargo AFR to cover the additional handling required.
Because these variables shift week to week, an AFR quoted today is not a guarantee for a booking made a month later — always confirm validity dates on any quote you're comparing.
AFR alongside the rest of an air freight quote
AFR is one of several per-kg and flat charges that make up a full air freight quotation. Reading them together, rather than focusing on AFR alone, is the only way to compare quotes accurately:
| AFR (Air Freight Rate) | Base freight charge — per chargeable kg, the largest line item |
|---|---|
| FSC (Fuel Surcharge) | Indexed to jet fuel prices — per chargeable kg |
| SSC (Security Surcharge) | Covers X-ray and physical screening — per chargeable kg |
| AWB fee | Flat fee per airway bill — not weight-based |
A quote with a low headline AFR but an unusually high FSC or SSC can still land at a higher all-in cost per kg than a competing quote with a higher AFR. Always sum the per-kg charges before comparing across air freight quotes from different forwarders.
AFR versus ocean freight pricing
Ocean freight uses an entirely different base charge — OFR (Ocean Freight Rate) — priced per container for FCL or per CBM for LCL, rather than per kilogram of chargeable weight. Ocean base rates per unit are substantially lower than air AFR, which is the core trade-off between the two modes: air moves faster (indicative transit is measured in days rather than weeks, against roughly a week to over a month by sea depending on the lane) at a materially higher per-kg cost. For cargo that isn't time-critical, comparing an AFR-based air quote against an ocean quote is worth doing before committing, particularly for bulky or lower-value goods where the freight cost is a large share of landed cost. See how shipping works for how the two modes compare on transit and cost structure more broadly.
Getting an accurate AFR quote
Because AFR is calculated against chargeable weight, the single biggest lever you control is the accuracy of the dimensions and weight you provide at quoting stage. Underreporting either one doesn't lower your bill — it just means the AFR gets recalculated against corrected figures later, often after the cargo has already been tendered. Provide exact carton or pallet dimensions and actual weight upfront, and ask whether your shipment is close enough to the next weight break that consolidating with other cargo could shift it into a lower bracket. For regular smaller-volume shippers, consolidation groups cargo with complementary shipments, which can improve how efficiently a weight break is used across the combined load.
Holo Cargo's quotes itemise AFR separately from FSC, SSC, and AWB fees, calculated from the actual dimensions and weight you submit, so the rate basis is clear before you book — and what you're quoted is what the freight charge on your invoice reflects.
