Below is a list of commonly used Air & Shipping cargo terms, abbreviations and airport city codes. If you have a question or an enquiry about any of the below please feel free to contact our Air Freight department we will be happy to help.
BELOW ARE MOST COMMONLY USED ABBREVIATIONS AND CODES| ABBREVIATION | DEFINATION |
|---|---|
| A.A. | Always Afloat |
| a.d. | Ante diem/before date |
| A.F. | Advance Freight |
| A.H. | After Hatch |
| A.P. | Additional Premium |
| a/c | Account |
| A/C | Account current |
| A/d | After date |
| a/s (economics) | At sight |
| A/S (sea freight) | Alongside |
| A/S (trade) | Account Sale |
| A/S (banking) | Account Sales/After sight |
| A/V | Ad valorem |
| Acc | Accepted,Acceptance |
| ad/advt | Advocate |
| Afft. | Affidavit |
| aflt. | Afloat |
| AI | First class |
| Alt. | Alternate |
| amt. | Amount |
| an. | Anno |
| Anch. | Anchorage |
| arbtn./ arbtror | Arbitration/Arbitrator |
| art. | Article |
| assd. | Assessed |
| Assigt. | Assignment |
| Assn. | Association |
| Att. Gen. | Attorney General |
| att.At.,/ Atty. | Attorney |
| Awb | Airwaybill |
| B.B. | Bill Book |
| B.B.B. | Before Breaking Bulk |
| b.d. (banking) | Bills discounted/Bank draft |
| B.D. | Bar Draught |
| B.D.I. | Both Dates Inclusive |
| B.E. | Both ends, at both load/ discharge ports |
| B.O.T. | Board of Trade |
| b.p. | By procuration (power of attorney) |
| B.U. | Buyer's option |
| B/C | Bills for collection |
| B/Ch. | Bristol Channel |
| b/d | Broughtdown |
| B/E | Bill of Exchange |
| B/G | Bonded goods |
| B/H | Bil1 of Health/Bulkhead |
| B/N | Banknote |
| B/P (banking) | Bills payable |
| B/P (trade) | Bill payable |
| B/R | Bills receivable |
| B/S (sea freight) | Bill of Sale |
| B/T | Berth terms |
| B/S (b.s) (banking) | Bill of Sale/Balance Sheet |
| bal. | Balance |
| Bd. | Bond |
| Bds. | Boards |
| bkpt. | Bankrupt |
| bre. | Barrel |
| Bs/c | Bills of collection |
| c | Currency/Cents/Case/ |
| C and D | Collection and Delivery |
| C. C. | Cash Credit |
| C. div. | Cumulative dividend |
| C.a.D. | Cash against documents |
| C.b.d. | Cash before delivery |
| c.d. | Cash discount/Certificate of deposit |
| C.F. | Cost and Freight |
| C.G. | Coast Guard |
| C.G.A. | Cargo's proportion of General Average |
| C.H. | Custom House |
| C.i.a. | Cash in advance |
| C.I.F. | Cost, Insurance, Freight |
| C.I.F.c.and I. | Cost insurance, Freight, Commission and Interest |
| C.L. | Carload Lot |
| C.O.D. | Cash on Delivery |
| C.O.P. | Custom of the Port |
| C.o.S. | Cash on shipment |
| C.P.D. | Charterers Pay Dues |
| c.r. | Current rate |
| c.r.m. | Cash by return mail/Cash on receipt of merchandise |
| c.r.s. | Cash by return steamer |
| c.w.o. | Cash with order |
| C/A | Capital account |
| c/f | Carried forward |
| C/H | Clearing House |
| c/m | Certificate of manufacture |
| C/n | Certificate of Origin |
| C/N (trade) | Credit Note |
| C/N (banking) | Credit Note |
| c/o | Care of/Cash order |
| C/P | Charter Party |
| Carr.pd. (cge.pd.) | Carriage paid |
| cash b/I | Cash against bill of lading |
| Cash. | Cashier |
| cd. Sl | Conditional sale |
| ch.ppd. | Charges prepaid |
| chq. | Cheque |
| cl.b/l | Clean bill of lading |
| cld. | Cleared |
| Coll. | Collect/collection |
| Conf. | Confirm/confirmed |
| Cons.cert. | Consular certificate |
| ctf. | Certified/certificate |
| Ctge. | Cartage |
| curr. | Current/Currency |
| D / D | Demand Draft |
| D / N | Debit Note |
| D.1/2 D. | Despatch half Demurrage |
| D.a. (banking) | Documents against acceptance |
| D.a.d. | Documents against discretion of collecting bank |
| D.A. (trade) | Deposit account |
| D.A.F. | Delivery at Frontier |
| d.b.k. | Drawback |
| d.d.o. | Despatch Discharging only |
| D.F. | Dead Freight |
| D.L.O. | Despatch Loading Only |
| D.P.B. | Deposit pass-book |
| d.s. | Days after sight |
| D.W. | Dead Weight |
| D.W.C.C.C. | Dead Weight Cargo Carry Capacity |
| d/a | Days after acceptance |
| D/A (trade) | Documents against Acceptance |
| D/D | Demand draft |
| D/N | Debit note |
| D/O | Delivery Order |
| D/P | Documents against Payment |
| D/r | Deposit receipt |
| D/y | Delivery |
| deb. | Debit |
| Decl. | Declaration/Declared |
| Deft. | Defendant |
| Depr. | Depreciation |
| dft. | Draft |
| dft/a. | Draft attached |
| dft/c | Clean draft |
| Dis. | Discount |
| Distr. | Distribute/Distributor |
| Div. | Dividend/Division |
| do | Ditto |
| Dr. | Drawer |
| ds dft | Sight draft/Date draft |
| e.and o.e | Errors and omissions excepted |
| e.e. | Errors excepted |
| E.P.D. | Excess Profit Duty |
| E.T. A. | Expected Time of Arrival |
| E.T.D. | Expected Time of Departure |
| ea | Each |
| encl. | Enclosure |
| end. | Endorsed/endorsement |
| ex. | Exchange |
| Ex. int. | Ex interest |
| Ex.d.( ex.div.) | Ex dividend (um) |
| exl. | Exclusive, excluding |
| EXQ | Ex Quay |
| EXW | Ex Works |
| F.A.C. | Fast As Can |
| F.a.q. | Fair average quality |
| F.A.S. | Free Alongside Ship |
| F.and.D. | Freight and Demurrage |
| f.b. | Freight bill |
| F.d. | Free discharge |
| F.g. | Fully good |
| f.i.a. | Full interest admitted |
| f.i.b. | Free into bunkers |
| F.I.O. | Free In and Out |
| F.I.O.S. | Free In and Out, Stowed |
| F.I.O.S.T. | Free In and Out, Stowed and Trimmed |
| f.o.c. | Free of charge |
| f.o.l. | Free of interest |
| F.O. | Firm Offer |
| F.O.B. | Free On Board |
| F.O.R. | Free On Rail |
| F.O.T. | Free On Truck |
| f. p. | Fully paid |
| F.P. | Floating (open) policy |
| F.T. (sea freight) | Freight ton |
| F.T. (sea freight) | Free of Turn |
| F.T. (sea freight) | Full Terms |
| F.T.W. | Free Trade Wharf |
| f.x. | Foreign exchange |
| fr.fwrd. | Freight forward |
| frt. coll. | Freight collect |
| frt.pp. | Freight prepaid |
| FRT. | Freight |
| g r. | Gross |
| G.M.B. | Good merchantable brand |
| G.R.T. | Gross Register Tonnage |
| gr. wt. | Gross weight |
| Gtee. | Guarantee |
| Gtee.(gtd ). | Guarantee/Guaranteed |
| H.O. | Head Office |
| H.P. | Horse Power |
| H.W.M. | High Water Mark |
| hrs. | Hours |
| I. B. | Invoice Book |
| I.O.U. | I owe you |
| I/c | In charge of |
| I/F | Insufficient funds |
| I/F | Insufficient funds |
| I/I | Indorsement irregular |
| Incl. | Included, inclusive |
| Inst. | Instant (present month) |
| Irr. | Irredeemable |
| j.a. | Joint account |
| L.a. | Letter of advice |
| L.b. | Long bill |
| L.B. | Life Boat |
| L.C.D. | Telegram Country Destination |
| L.C.O. | Telegram Country Origin |
| L.h. | Letter of hypothecation |
| L.H. | Lower Hold |
| L.O.A. | Length Overall |
| L/C | Letter of Credit |
| L/D | Letter of deposit |
| Led. | Ledger |
| Liq. | Liquidation,1iquidated/liquid |
| Ltd. | Limited |
| m.d. | Months date/months after date |
| M.I.P. | Marine Insurance Policy |
| M.O. | Money Order |
| M.O.L.O.O. | More or Less In Owner's Option |
| m.p. | Months after payment |
| m.s. | Months after sight, months sight |
| M/R | Mate's Receipt Ordino |
| Marg. | Margin |
| mat. | Maturity |
| Mem. | Memorandum |
| mtg.(mort). | Mortgage |
| mth. | Month |
| N.A.A. | Not Always Afloat |
| n.d. | Not dated |
| N.O.R. | Notice of Readiness |
| n.o.s. | Not otherwise stated, not otherwise specified |
| n.p. | Net proceeds |
| N.R.T. | Net. Register Tonnage |
| n/a | No account |
| n/e. | Not exceeding |
| n/f. | no funds |
| natl. | National |
| neg. | Negotiable |
| Net Terms | Free of Charterer's commission |
| o.d. | on demand/overdraft |
| o.p. | Open policy |
| O.R. | Owner's Risk |
| o.s. | Outstanding |
| O.S.D. | Open Shelter Decker |
| O.S.P. | One Safe Port |
| O/a. | On acceptance/ On account |
| o/c. | Overcharge |
| O/o. | Order of |
| on cons. | On consignment |
| o.p.o | One price only |
| opt. | Option, optional |
| P.A. | Power of Attorney/ Private account |
| p.and l. | Profit and loss |
| P.B. | Pass Book |
| P.O.C. | Port of Call |
| P.O.R. | Port of Refuge |
| P/N (p.n.) | Promissory note |
| pchs. | Purchase |
| per.pro. | Per procuration |
| prem. | Premium |
| Q.O.O. | Quantity in Owner's Option |
| R.d. (sea freight) | Running days |
| r/a. (R.A.) | Refer to acceptor |
| R/C | Re-credited |
| r/d (banking) | Refer to drawer |
| r/e | Refer to endorser |
| rem. | Remit, remittance |
| rept.( recpt.) | Receipt |
| Rev. | Revision |
| Rev. A /C . | Revenue account |
| s, p. | Supra under protest |
| S.B. | Sales Book |
| S.C. | Salvage charges |
| S.F. | Stowage Factor |
| S.H.E.X. | Sundays and Holidays Excepted |
| S.H.I.N.C. | Sundays and Holidays Included |
| S.O.L. | Shipowner's Liability |
| S.P.A. | Sundry Persons' account |
| S.W. | Shipper's Weights |
| s/a . | Subject to approval |
| s/d b/ L | Sight draft with bill of lading attached |
| S/N | Shipping Note |
| Supt. | Superintendent |
| Sy. Drs. | Sundry debtors |
| Sy.Crs. | Sundry Creditors |
| T.B. | Trial Balance |
| T.D. | Tweendeck |
| t.m.o. | Telegraphic money order |
| T.O. | Turnover |
| t.r. | Trust receipt |
| t.t. | Telegraphic transfer |
| T/C | Time Charter |
| tar. | Tariff |
| ult. | Ultimo, last month |
| V.o.p. | Value as in original policy |
| V/A | Voucher attached |
| W.A. | With Average |
| W.B. | Water Ballast |
| W.I.B.O.N. | Whether in Berth or Not |
| W.S.(RED) | Rates, Extras and Demurrage per World Scale |
| W.V.N.S. | With Vessels Natural Segregations |
| W.W.D. | Weather Working Days |
| w/m | Without margin |
| w/w | Warehouse warrant |
| whf. | Wharf |
| wholes. | Wholesale |
| x.in. | Ex interest |
| ABBREVIATION | CONTENT A -TO- D |
|---|---|
| A2A | Airport-to-airport |
| A2D | Airport-to-door |
| ADV | Advise, Advised, Advising |
| AEA | Association of European Airlines (see the page “Interest Organisations” of this website also) |
| Airline | Company operating aircraft between steady origin and destination airports |
| Airmail | Mail travelling by air |
| Air Operator | Company operating aircraft |
| Airport-to-airport | Transport from an airport of origin to an airport of destination |
| Allotment | Assigned volume on board of a flight / day |
| AOG | Aircraft On Ground ; materials expedited for repair of a grounded aircraft |
| AP | Airport |
| ARR | Arrive, Arrived, Arrival |
| ARR | Also a C2K milestone: ARR = cargo and documents arrived at airport of destination |
| ATA | Air Transport Association (see the page “Interest Organisations” of this website also) |
| ATA | Actual Time of Arrival |
| ATD | Actual Time of Departure |
| Authorisation | The commission to a certain person or body to act on behalf of another person or body ; the person or body can be authorised e.g. to issue air waybills or to collect freight |
| AVI | Live Animal(s) |
| AWB | Air Waybill |
| Backlog | Amount of goods still to be delivered or received and for which the planned or agreed date has expired |
| BAG | Baggage |
| Belly | Lower-deck cargo hold of an aircraft |
| BIG | Outsized cargo |
| Blocked-space agreement | A continuous reservation (allotment) for space at one or more flight / date combinations with an airline |
| Bonded Goods | Goods on which the customs duty has not yet been paid, and which therefore, are under the control of customs; usually in a Bonded warehouse. |
| Bonded warehouse | A depository for goods on which the customs duty has not been paid ; the warehouse proprietor must provide a bond (often in the form of a bank warranty or a mortgage) to the customs authorities as a security for any duties which may not be paid by the customer |
| Booking | Request for reservation of space on a flight/day, (to be) confirmed by the airline |
| Break Bulk Agent | A forwarder breaking the bulk: taking care of the unpacking and sorting of goods after the flight |
| Breakdown List | List of shipments carried in one consolidation (see also: Consolidation Manifest) |
| Broker | Person who acts as an agent or intermediary in negotiating contracts ; sometimes refers to a forwarder role |
| Bulk Cargo | Loose cargo not loaded on an ULD |
| C2K | Cargo 2000 (see the “Cargo 2000” page of this website) |
| Cargo Aircraft | Aircraft built with the purpose of carrying nothing else than cargo |
| Cargo assembly | The separate reception of parcels or packages and the holding of them for later dispatch as one consignment ; consolidator role |
| Cargo Disassembly | The separation of one or more of the parcels or packages that are part of a consignment for further distribution ; break bulk role |
| Carriage | Transport ; the process of conveying cargo from one point to another |
| Carrier | The party responsible for transport of goods from one point to another, this can be for example an airline or a forwarder (as a NVOCC) |
| CASS | Cargo Accounts Settlement System |
| CAO | Cargo Aircraft Only |
| CC | Charges Collect ; pay at moment of collection of the goods |
| CCS | Cargo Community System ; information system integrating the communication between air cargo parties at an airport |
| Certificate of Origin | A certificate proving the country of original production of goods ; used for customs declaration purposes |
| Charges collect | Charges as stated on the air waybill to be collected from the consignee |
| Charges prepaid | Charges as stated on the air waybill to be collected from the shipper |
| Claim | A written complaint about the execution of a contract of transportation by a carrier, combined with a demand for financial compensation |
| Classifying | Assigning the right import classification number to goods as part of the customs declaration process |
| CLR | Clear |
| CNEE | Consignee |
| COLL | Collect, Collected, Collecting |
| COMAT | Company Material (non revenue cargo) |
| Combi | Combi Aircraft, combining transport of passengers and cargo on the main-deck |
| Commodity | Indication of the type of goods ; commodities are coded according to the harmonised system |
| Commodity code | Code used in the Harmonised System for the classification of goods, which are most commonly produced and traded |
| Complaint | An official statement from a customer to a carrier about his unhappiness with the service or operation of the service provider |
| Consignee | The person or company that is physically and administratively responsible for accepting the goods at final delivery |
| Consolidation | A collection of shipments belonging to different shippers travelling to one destination or area to be distributed to several consignees |
| Consolidation Manifest | List of shipments carried in one consolidation |
| Consolidation Rates | Rates as given by a consolidator / forwarder |
| Consolidator | A forwarder consolidating shipments before a flight ; these shipments belonging to different shippers and travelling to one destination or area in order to be distributed to several consignees after the flight |
| Courier | Company that carries envelopes and parcels up to 75 kg from door to door ; air transport is generally outsourced to airlines |
| Courier Rates | Rates as given by a courier |
| CPTY | Capacity |
| CRN | Customs Release Note |
| Customs Agent/Broker (Certified) | Party certified to handle the customs clearance on account of importers / exporters |
| Customs invoice | (Pro forma) Invoice for import declaration (customs and statistics) purposes, stating the commercial price, added with the costs for freight, insurance and packing etc., terms of delivery and payment |
| Customs value | Value of goods to be imported for import declaration (customs and statistics) purposes |
| D2A | Door-to-airport |
| D2D | Door-to-door |
| Dangerous Goods | Goods that can be hazardous for health, flight-safety or materials |
| DAP | A C2K key performance indicator: DAP = Delivered As Promised (NFD in full and on time statuses are achieved) |
| DEP | A C2K milestone: DEP = cargo and documents departed at airport of origin |
| DEPT | Department |
| DG | Dangerous Goods |
| DGR | Dangerous Goods Regulations (IATA) |
| Dimensional Weight (Conversion) | Concept adopted by the transportation industry worldwide as a uniform means of establishing a minimum charge for the cubic space a package occupies ; the volume is converted into a (higher) weight / price class |
| DIMS | Dimensions |
| DIP | Diplomatic mail |
| DLV | Deliver, Delivered, Delivering |
| DLV | Also a C2K milestone: DLV = cargo and documents delivered to customer (forwarder) |
| DOCS | Document(s), Documentation |
| Domestic transport | Transport within a country |
| Door-to-door | Transport from an initial shipper’s house address to a final consignee’s house address |
| Duty | Tax imposed on goods imported from another country |
| ABBREVIATION | CONTENT E -TO- M | EDI | Electronic Data Interchange |
|---|---|
| EDIFACT | Electronic Data Interchange For Administration, Commerce and Transport ; a specific EDI protocol |
| e-Freight | Electronic freight documents project from IATA ; e-Freight aims to take the paper out of the air cargo supply chain and -processes and replace it with cheaper, more accurate and more reliable electronic messaging ; facilitated by IATA, the project is an industry-wide initiative involving carriers, freight forwarders, ground handlers, shippers and customs authorities |
| Electronic Data Interchange | The interchange of electronic data, structured following an agreed protocol, between the automated information system of different parties |
| Embargo | An embargo on a certain kind of goods means these goods will not be transported by the airline, often for flight-safety reasons |
| Equipment | Materials needed to handle or transport goods |
| ESC | European Shippers’ Council (see the page “Interest Organisations” of this website also) |
| ETA | Estimated Time of Arrival |
| ETD | Estimated Time of Departure |
| Expediting | Forwarding goods (in less than the normal lead time) |
| Expeditor | Forwarder |
| FAK | Freight All Kinds |
| FAK-Rates | Rates for Freight All Kinds |
| FAP | A C2K key performance indicator: FAP = Flown As Planned (the complete shipment has flown at or before the last planned flight with a maximum 12 hour delay) |
| FCL | Full Container Load |
| FDCA | Found Cargo |
| FFM | Freight Forwarding Message (electronic) |
| FIATA | International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (see the page “Interest Organisations” of this website also) |
| FLT | Flight |
| Forwarder | Company specialized in providing door-to-airport transport, arranging connecting air transport and/or airport-to-door transport for parcels and consolidations > 75 kg or up to anything that fits in an aircraft ; the air transport is generally outsourced to airlines and sometimes aircraft operators or air charter companies |
| Forwarder network | A network existing of different smaller to medium sized forwarding companies all over the world working together |
| Freighter | Aircraft built with the purpose of carrying nothing else than cargo |
| FSU | Freight Status Update |
| Fuel Surcharge | Surcharge added to the cargo rate to cover the additional costs of increasing fuel-prices ; these will generally follow a certain index |
| Full charter | Chartering the full available volume of an aircraft or flight/day |
| Full Container Load | Container fully loaded, generally with goods belonging to one party |
| Full freighter | Aircraft built with the purpose of carrying nothing else than cargo |
| FWB | Electronic air waybill message |
| FWB | Also a C2K milestone: FWB = the shipment is booked at the airline, next an electronic air waybill is generated by agent (forwarder) ; this creates the so-called route map in C2K in which all the steps are followed |
| FYI | For Your Information |
| General Cargo Rates | Rates for all different kinds of cargo, not falling into a specific handling and/or rate category |
| GSA | General Sales Agent |
| GSF | Global Shippers Forum (see the page “Interest Organisations” of this website also) |
| Handling Agent | Agent handling the ramp and/or warehouse cargo operation for an airline |
| Harmonised System | A numeric multi purpose system for the classification of goods with its six digits covering about 5000 descriptions of the products or groups of products most commonly produced and traded, designed for customs purposes, but can also be used for statistics, transport purposes, export, import and manufacturing; the international convention on the HS was established under auspices of the World Customs Organisation in 1983 |
| Haulage | Inland transport of cargo |
| Haulier | Road carrier |
| HEA | Heavy Cargo |
| HAWB | House Air Waybill |
| House Air Waybill | The shipment contract between the end-customer and the forwarder (see the page “Forwarding Out” of this website for further purposes and explanation) |
| Hub | Central point in a transport system or network |
| HUM | Human remains |
| HWB | House Waybill |
| IATA | International Air Transport Association (see the page “Interest Organisations” of this website also) |
| IATA-Agent | An IATA certified agent |
| ICAL | Inbound Cargo Action List |
| ICAO | International Civil Aviation Organisation (see the page “Interest Organisations” of this website also) |
| ICE | Dry Ice Shipment |
| IN | Inches |
| Inco terms | Internationally agreed set of standard delivery terms |
| Integrator | Carrier integrating different modes of transport to form a door-to-door transport or supply chain ; this term mostly refers to the large international express companies who’s core business is to carry envelopes and parcels up to 75 kg, often overnight or even same day |
| Intermodal Transport | The movement of cargo in a supply chain by more than one mode of transport ; for example road/air or sea/air transport |
| INV | Invoice |
| ISA | If Space Available |
| KG | Kilos |
| L/C | Letter of Credit |
| LCL | Less than Container Load |
| Less than Container Load | Container partly filled with goods from one party, or an amount of goods that is not sufficient to fill one container and will therefore likely be consolidated |
| LHO | Living Human Organs / Blood |
| License, import/export | Governmental permit to import / export certain goods under certain conditions |
| Line item | Order line, each line on a packing list or invoice to be declared for customs |
| Load factor | The extent to which the aircraft (weight-, volume-, ULD-) capacity is efficiently utilized (to generate profit) |
| LOC | Location |
| Loose cargo/shipments | Cargo / shipments not loaded on an ULD |
| Lower Deck | The (cargo) deck below the main deck or upper deck of an aircraft |
| LT | Local Time |
| Main deck | Upper deck ; the (cargo) deck above the lower deck of an aircraft |
| Manifest, flight | Document listing the air waybills and a specification of the related goods carried on a flight |
| Master Air Waybill | The shipment contract between the forwarder and the airline (see the page “Forwarding Out” of this website for further purposes and explanation) |
| MAWB | Master Air Waybill |
| MFST | Manifest |
| Minimum Rate | Rate to cover the basic costs of carrying a shipment |
| MSG | Message(s) |
| ABBREVIATION | CONTENT N -TO- Z |
|---|---|
| Network Forwarder | A large forwarding company with worldwide branches |
| NFD | A C2K milestone: NFD = cargo and documents ready for pick-up at airline (handler), the customer (forwarder) is notified |
| NND | Notice of Non Delivery |
| NON-IATA | Airline or agent that is not a member of IATA |
| Nose loading | Loading cargo through the cargo door in the nose of an aircraft |
| Notify address | Address of a party other than the consignee to be notified of arrival of the goods |
| Notify party | Party other than the consignee to be notified of arrival of the goods |
| NOTOC | Notification To Captain ; list for the captain of the aircraft with goods carried on board |
| N-Rates | Rates for shipments with weights up to 45 kg |
| NVOCC | Non Vessel Operating/Owning Cargo Carrier ; in case of Air Cargo a Carrier (e.g. a Forwarder or Consolidator) who issues Air Waybills for the carriage of cargo on aircraft which he does not operate or own |
| OAG | Official Airlines Guide |
| OB | On Board |
| Oversized Cargo | Cargo that exceeds the dimensions of an ULD |
| Package | Packed piece of cargo |
| Packing list | A list for customs declaration and consignment purposes stating number and kinds of packages being shipped, totals of gross, legal, and net weights of the packages, marks and numbers on the packages, contents and part-/serialnumbers |
| Pallet | A (standardized) platform on which goods can be stacked for transport or warehouse handling purposes |
| Pallet, aircraft | A (standardized) platform on which goods can be stacked for air transport purposes |
| Pallet net | A net used to secure the cargo on the aircraft pallet |
| Parcel | Package |
| Part charter | Chartering of a part of the available volume on an aircraft or flight/day |
| Part shipment | Part of a shipment that travels on a different flight and/or day than the rest of the shipment due to available capacity with the airline |
| PAX | Passenger(s) |
| Payload | The (cargo) load that can be carried by an aircraft (to generate revenue) |
| PC | Piece(s) |
| PER | Perishable Cargo |
| PFI | Pro Forma Invoice |
| POA | Proof Of Acceptance ; legal proof a shipment has been accepted by a party |
| POD | Proof Of Delivery ; legal proof a shipment has been delivered by a party |
| POD | Place Of Delivery |
| PP | Charges Prepaid |
| PPD | Prepaid |
| Pre-alert | Message stating the current and or expected status of the goods |
| Principal | The customer ordering the transport or related services |
| PSH | Part Shipment |
| QNTY | Quantity |
| Q-Rates | Rates with a quantity discount |
| RCF | A C2K milestone: RCF = cargo has arrived in the cargo bay at final destination ; cargo and airwaybill are administratively received in the system |
| RCPT | Receipt, Reception |
| RCS | A C2K milestone: RCS = cargo and documents are received ‘Ready For Carriage’ and accepted by airline (handler) |
| Ready For Carriage | (By Air) The goods are correctly packed and labeled, and customs cleared, with the right documents attached |
| Ready For Transport | (By Road) The goods are correctly packed and labeled, with the right documents attached |
| RFC | Ready For Carriage |
| RFT | Ready For Transport |
| Routing | The path that is (to be) followed by the goods from shipper to consignee |
| RUSHR | Rush Reply |
| SASPO | As Soon As Possible |
| SAWB | Substitute Air Waybill |
| Security Surcharge | Surcharge added to the cargo rate to cover the additional costs of the increasing number of security checks and related administration that are legally required by the authorities |
| Shipper | The person or company that is physically and administratively responsible for shipping the goods ; for an airline in most cases a forwarder will be the shipper, for a forwarder the shipper is a third party, for example a trading company, a manufacturer, etc. |
| Shipper’s Letter of Instruction | Document issued by the shipper to instruct and authorize the forwarder to forward and declare goods on his behalf ; contains all shipment details needed to facilitate these services |
| SHPMNT | Shipment |
| Side loading | Loading cargo through a cargo door in the side of an aircraft |
| Skid | Pallet |
| S/L | Short Loaded |
| SLI | Shipper’s Letter of Instruction |
| SSPD | Short Shipped ; stayed behind |
| TACT | The Air Cargo Tariff ; publication of official airline tariffs |
| TBA | Time Before Arrival |
| TBD | Time Before Departure |
| TEMP | Temperature |
| TIACA | The International Air Cargo Association (see the page “Interest Organisations” of this website also) |
| TILNA | Tilting Not Allowed |
| TILTA | Tilting Allowed |
| Time Slot | The agreed time to collect or deliver goods |
| Tonne Kilometer | One tonne (1000 kg or 2204.6 lb) metric flown one kilometer ; productivity indicator |
| TRA | Transit |
| Tracing | Retrieving (information on) the status of goods and documents |
| Tracking | Regular checking on the status of goods and documents |
| Track & Trace | Automated regular retrieval of (information on) the status of goods and documents and checking these against the agreed norms |
| Transfer cargo | Transfer of cargo from one flight to another |
| Transito / Transit cargo | Transfer of cargo from one flight to another |
| TRM | Transfer Manifest |
| TTL | Total |
| ULD | Unit Load Device |
| ULD, contoured | Unit Load Device shaped to exactly fit in an aircraft |
| UNACC | Unaccompanied |
| Unit Load Device | Standardized air cargo loading equipment (pallet, container) |
| Upper deck | Main deck ; the (cargo) deck above the lower deck of an aircraft |
| VAL | Valuable cargo |
| VAT | Value Added Tax |
| VOL | Volume |
| Volume charge | Air transport charge based on the volume of goods instead of the actual weight (see “Dimensional Weight” and “Weight charge” also) |
| VUN | Vulnerable cargo |
| Weight charge | Air transport charge based on the actual weight of the goods (see “Dimensional Weight” and “Volume charge” also) |
| Weight & Balance | Management of the weight and allocation of cargo, passengers and fuel for a flight |
| W/H | Warehouse |
| XPS | Priority Small Package |
| XS | In Excess |
| Yield management | The process of maximising the contribution (revenue) of the (transport & handling) network, equipment, infrastructure and resources |
| Airline Code | Airline | Country | Carrier Code | IATA(*) | |
| 1 | AMERICAN AIRLINES INC. | U.S.A. | AA | AAL | * |
| 5 | CONTINENTAL AIRLINES, INC. | U.S.A. | CO | COA | * |
| 6 | DELTA AIR LINES, INC. | U.S.A. | DL | DAL | * |
| 12 | NORTHWEST AIRLINES, INC. | U.S.A. | NW | NWA | * |
| 14 | AIR CANADA | CANADA | AC | ACA | * |
| 16 | UNITED AIRLINES, INC. | U.S.A. | UA | UAL | * |
| 20 | LUFTHANSA CARGO AG. | GERMANY | LH | DLH | * |
| 23 | FEDEX | U.S.A. | FX | FDX | * |
| 43 | HONG KONG DRAGON AIRLINES LIMITED. | HONG KONG | KA | HAD | * |
| 55 | ALITALIA-COMPAGNIA AEREA ITALIANA S.P. | ITALY | AZ | AZA | * |
| 57 | AIR FRANCE | FRANCE | AF | AFR | * |
| 63 | AIR CALEDONIE INTERNATIONAL | CALEDONIA | SB | ACI | * |
| 74 | KLM ROYAL DUTCH AIRLINES | NETHERLANDS | KL | KLM | * |
| 77 | EGYPTAIR | EGYPT | MS | MSR | * |
| 79 | PHILIPPINE AIRLINES, INC. | PHILIPPINES | PR | PAL | * |
| 81 | QANTAS AIRWAYS LTD. | AUSTRALIA | QF | QFA | * |
| 86 | AIR NEW ZEALAND LTD. | NEW ZEALAND | NZ | ANZ | * |
| 96 | IRAN-AIR | IRAN | IR | IRA | * |
| 98 | AIR INDIA LTD. | INDIA | AI | AIC | * |
| 105 | FINNAIR O/Y | FINLAND | AY | FIN | * |
| 117 | SCANDINAVIAN AIRLINES SYSTEM(SAS) | SWEDEN | SK | SAS | * |
| 125 | BRITISH AIRWAYS P.L.C. | U.K. | BA | BAW | * |
| 126 | GARUDA INDONESIA | INDONESIA | GA | GIA | * |
| 131 | JAPAN AIRLINES CO. LTD | JAPAN | JL | JAL | * |
| 139 | AEROMEXICO | MEXICO | AM | AMX | * |
| 160 | CATHAY PACIFIC AIRWAYS LTD. | CHINA | CX | CPA | * |
| 172 | CARGOLUX AIRLINES INT’L S.A. | LUXEMBURG | CV | CLX | * |
| 176 | EMIRATES SKY CARGO | U.A.E. | EK | UAE | * |
| 180 | KOREAN AIR LINES CO.,LTD. | KOREA | KE | KAL | * |
| 205 | ALL NIPPON AIRWAYS CO., LTD. | JAPAN | NH | ANA | * |
| 214 | PAKISTAN INT’L AIRLINES | PAKISTAN | PK | PIA | * |
| 217 | THAI AIRWAYS INT’L PUBLIC CO.,LTD. | THAILAND | TG | THA | * |
| 232 | MALAYSIA AIRLINES SYSTEM BERHAD | MALAYSIA | MH | MAS | * |
| 235 | TURKISH AIRLINES INC. | TURKEY | TK | THY | * |
| 244 | AIR TAHITI NUI | TAHITI | TN | THT | * |
| 250 | UZBEKISTAN AIRWAYS | UZBEKISTAN | HY | UZB | |
| 257 | AUSTRIAN AIRLINES AG | AUSTRIA | OS | AUA | * |
| 260 | AIR PACIFIC | FIJI | FJ | FJI | * |
| 285 | ROYAL NEPAL AIRLINES CORP. | NEPAL | RA | RNA | * |
| 288 | AHK AIR HONG KONG LTD. | HONG KONG | LD | AHK | |
| 289 | MIAT-MONGOLIAN AIRLINES | MONGOLIA | OM | MGL | * |
| 297 | CHINA AIRLINES LTD | TAIWAN | CI | CAL | * |
| 403 | POLAR AIR CARGO INC. | U.S.A. | PO | PAC | |
| 406 | UNITED PARCEL | U.S.A. | 5X | UPS | * |
| 555 | AEROFLOT RUSSIAN AIRLINES | RUSSIA | SU | AFL | * |
| 560 | DALAVIA FAR EAST AIRWAYS | RUSSIA | H8 | KHB | |
| 603 | SRILANKAN AIRLINES LTD. | SRI LANKA | UL | ALK | * |
| 618 | SINGAPORE AIRLINES LTD. | SINGAPORE | SQ | SQC | * |
| 656 | AIR NIUGINI PTY LTD. | NIUGINI | PX | ANG | * |
| 688 | JAPAN ASIA AIRWAYS CO., LTD. | JAPAN | EG | JAA | |
| 695 | EVA AIRWAYS CORP. | TAIWAN | BR | EVA | * |
| 724 | SWISS INT’L AIR LINES LTD. | SWITZERLAND | LX | SWR | * |
| 738 | VIETNAM AIRLINES | VIETNAM | VN | HVN | * |
| 768 | AIR NIPPON CO., LTD. | JAPAN | EL | ANK | |
| 774 | SHANGHAI AIRLINES CO., LTD. | CHINA | FM | ||
| 781 | CHINA EASTERN AIRLINES | CHINA | MU | CES | * |
| 784 | CHINA SOUTHERN AIRLINES | CHINA | CZ | CSN | * |
| 932 | VIRGIN ATLANTIC | U.K. | VS | VIR | * |
| 933 | NIPPON CARGO AIRLINES | JAPAN | KZ | NCA | * |
| 988 | ASIANA AIRLINES INC. | KOREA | OZ | AAR | * |
| 999 | AIR CHINA LTD. | CHINA | CA | CCA | * |