Africa to USA cargo charter

Boeing quotes 9,200 km for a 777F carrying its maximum payload; Atlas Air quotes 8,250 km for the 747-400F. Every African lane to the US either sits inside those figures or does not, and the answer changes the offer.

Inside the range, a freighter can fly the cargo in one leg. Beyond it, the operator either adds a fuel stop — more landing fees, more crew time — or leaves payload behind. We compare both versions for your tonnage before quoting, because the cheaper aircraft is not always the cheaper flight.

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Nairobi lies at about 1,600 m and Addis Ababa at 2,334 m. Thin air reduces engine thrust and wing lift, so a heavy freighter needs more runway or must take off lighter — especially in the afternoon heat. Night and early-morning departures help.

This is why the same aircraft type can carry less out of Addis Ababa than out of Lagos. When we compare operators on these lanes, we ask for the take-off weight they can actually confirm for your date and slot.

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Few large freighters are based in Africa. Most charters start with an aircraft flying in from Europe, the Middle East or the US, and that positioning leg is part of the price.

A one-way charter to the US is cheapest when the aircraft has a reason to be in Africa anyway — for example an inbound load it has just delivered.

Give us a date window instead of a single day where you can. It widens the choice of aircraft that can be in place without a dedicated empty leg.

The US side has three fixed requirements. The operator must hold US authority for the flight; foreign carriers flying charters to the US fall under the DOT's charter rules. Advance cargo data must be filed with CBP under the Air Cargo Advance Screening rule no later than before loading.

And an importer of record with a US customs broker must be ready to clear the cargo on arrival.

Carriers registered in a country also need that country to hold an FAA safety rating before they may start US service. Kenya and Ethiopia are rated Category 1; Nigeria has had no rating since 2022, so flights from Lagos are operated by carriers from rated states.

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A full charter books the whole aircraft: your date, your airports, your loading plan. A part charter books tonnage on a flight that already operates. A series repeats the same rotation for programmes such as seasonal produce, project deliveries or humanitarian supply, which keeps handling and paperwork identical from flight to flight.