Perishables, flowers and seafood
Perishables and flower charter: flying against shelf life
Submit a requirement any time — no account needed · first response usually within 60 minutes · 24/7 for AOG and time-critical. Optional: business account for status tracking
Flowers, fruit, vegetables and seafood lose value with every hour outside the cool chain. A perishables charter is planned around harvest and packing times, pre-cooling, the shortest ground time and the market date. Seasonal peaks such as Valentine's Day or Mother's Day often justify a series of flights. CCN coordinates operators and cool-chain handlers on both ends.
Shelf-life desk
Cooling gaps on the ground cost more shelf life than flight time does.
CCN is an independent broker and operates no aircraft. Each mission is placed with a regulated operator after comparing several options. How independent brokerage works.
What CCN handles on a perishables charter
- Timing departures to harvest, packing and pre-cooling
- Checking cool-room capacity and handling at origin and destination
- Planning short ground time and fast build-up on the ramp
- Structuring seasonal series around market dates
- Arranging phytosanitary and veterinary document checks with the shipper
- Looking for return cargo to reduce positioning cost
Temperature ranges are explained in temperature-controlled air freight.
Agricultural programmes are covered under agriculture charter.
GDP-regulated products follow pharma air charter.
When a perishables charter is the right choice — and when it is not
A good fit when
- — Seasonal volume exceeds scheduled capacity from the growing region
- — Hub transfers would cost too much shelf life
- — A series over a season can be filled reliably
Usually not the right choice when
- — Volumes are steady and scheduled freighters serve the lane
- — The produce tolerates sea transport in reefer containers
- — No return cargo exists and the lane is long — positioning cost dominates
Series structures are described under cargo charter.
Season planning is covered under capacity and peaks.
What the desk needs for a perishables offer
Full checklist: what a firm cargo charter quote needs.
- 01Commodity and required temperature range
- 02Pallet count, weights and pallet height
- 03Harvest or packing time and latest arrival at market
- 04Single flight or season with dates
- 05Cool-room and handling agent at both ends, if fixed
Freighters for perishables (indicative)
Wide-body freighters carry full main-deck loads of pallets; the type depends on volume, density and the airports in the growing region.
- Boeing 767-300FPayload: 53,977–54,884 kg (by engine)Main deck door: 3.40 m × 2.54 m (side)
- Boeing 777FPayload: ≈ 102,000 kgMain deck door: 3.72 m × 3.05 m (side)
- Boeing 747-400FPayload: 112,900 kg (747-8F: ≈ 134,000 kg — indicative value, not manufacturer-verified)Main deck side door: 3.4 m wide × 3.1 m high (clear opening)
Indicative — depends on route, fuel, density and operator. CCN operates no aircraft; types shown are examples operators offer, not a fleet.
Limits to check for perishables
- Cool-room capacity during season peaks
- Airport opening hours versus harvest timing
- Phytosanitary and veterinary inspection hours
- Ramp temperatures in hot climates
From harvest plan to market
- 01You send commodity, volume and harvest-to-market timing.
- 02The desk checks operators and cool-chain handling on both ends.
- 03Flight or series is confirmed; loading times are fixed with packhouses.
- 04Cargo is pre-cooled, built up, flown and handed to the cool room.
What a perishables charter offer contains
- Aircraft type, operator and registration where already allocated
- Routing, technical stops and planned timings (local times)
- Usable payload and volume for your cargo on this routing
- Price basis (per flight, per block hour or per rotation), currency and validity
- Inclusions and exclusions — handling, fuel, permits, insurance, positioning
- Subject-to conditions: availability at signature, permits, slots, operator acceptance
- For series: flight dates, rotation pattern and cancellation terms
Questions
Frequently asked questions
See all questionsYes. Seasonal series and ACMI programmes are the normal structure for repeating flower and produce volumes.
Chilled ranges are held with cool chain handling and, where required, active units. The achievable range is confirmed per lane and aircraft.
Cool storage and ULD build should be complete before the aircraft is on the ground, so the tarmac exposure is minimal.
Perishable charters are built around cool chain continuity and turnaround speed: pre-cooled cargo, minimal tarmac time, ventilated build-up and a short unloading window at destination. Series charters are common on lanes such as East Africa to Europe or South America to North America, where volumes justify a fixed weekly rotation.
The commercial case is usually made on shelf life at arrival rather than on freight rate.
Yes, and this is one of the main uses of series and ACMI structures. Valentine's and Mother's Day flower peaks, harvest windows, fashion seasons and e-commerce quarters are planned as programmes with fixed frequency and guaranteed capacity. Booking early secures aircraft that will not be available at short notice during the peak itself.
