FlashGL

The rental of an entire aircraft (rather than a seat or cargo space on a commercial flight) for the exclusive transport of time-critical cargo. Air Charter is used when commercial flight schedules cannot meet delivery... Read more

A transport document issued by an airline or freight forwarder that serves as a receipt for goods, evidence of the contract of carriage, and — unlike a Bill of Lading in ocean freight — is... Read more

An aviation emergency designation indicating that an aircraft is grounded and unable to fly due to a mechanical failure, missing part, or maintenance issue. AOG triggers the highest priority logistics response — typically an OBC... Read more

An international customs document (issued under the ATA Convention and the Istanbul Convention) that allows the temporary import of goods without paying duties or import taxes in over 80 countries. ATA stands for "Admission Temporaire... Read more

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The 11-digit reference number printed on an Air Waybill, consisting of the airline's 3-digit numeric prefix (e.g., 999 for Air China, 020 for Lufthansa) followed by a 7-digit serial number and a check digit. The... Read more

Freight transported in the cargo hold (belly) of a passenger aircraft, as opposed to dedicated freighter aircraft. Belly cargo capacity varies from 1-3 tonnes on narrowbody aircraft to 10-30 tonnes on widebody aircraft. Most OBC... Read more

The scheduled elapsed time from the moment an aircraft pushes back from the departure gate (chocks away) to the moment it arrives at the destination gate (chocks in). Block time includes taxi-out, takeoff, en-route flight,... Read more

A secured facility authorized by customs authorities to store imported goods before duties are paid. Goods can remain in a bonded warehouse for extended periods (typically up to 5 years) without duty payment. This is... Read more

An Incoterm (2020) where the seller pays for carriage and insurance to the named destination. Risk transfers to the buyer when the goods are handed over to the first carrier. CIP is the air-freight equivalent... Read more

An Incoterm (2020) where the seller pays for carriage to the named destination, but risk transfers to the buyer when the goods are handed over to the first carrier. CPT is similar to CIP but... Read more

The IATA Cargo Account Settlement System — a centralized billing and settlement facility for cargo agents and airlines. CASS simplifies the financial settlement process by consolidating AWB transactions into a single periodic payment, replacing individual... Read more

An official document certifying the country in which the goods were manufactured or produced. Certificates of Origin are required by customs authorities to determine preferential duty rates under free trade agreements, to enforce anti-dumping measures,... Read more

An unbroken documented trail that records every handoff of a shipment from origin to destination. Each transfer is logged with the handler's identity, timestamp, location, and condition of the goods. In OBC and Hand Carry... Read more

A temperature-controlled supply chain for products that must be maintained within a specific temperature range throughout transport and storage. Common cold chain ranges include 2-8°C (pharmaceuticals), -20°C (biologics), and 15-25°C (controlled room temperature). In time-critical... Read more

A legal document issued by the seller to the buyer that itemizes the goods being shipped, their value, and the terms of sale (including the applicable Incoterm). The commercial invoice is the primary document used... Read more

The practice of combining multiple smaller shipments into a single larger shipment to achieve better rates or more efficient transport. While consolidation is common in conventional air and ocean freight, it is less typical in... Read more

An Incoterm (2020) applicable only to sea and inland waterway transport where the seller pays the costs and freight to bring the goods to the port of destination, but risk transfers to the buyer when... Read more

An Incoterm (2020) applicable only to sea and inland waterway transport where the seller pays the costs and freight to bring the goods to the port of destination, and also provides minimum insurance coverage. Risk... Read more

In time-critical logistics, a courier is a trained professional who personally transports a shipment — typically as carry-on luggage on a commercial flight. Unlike standard delivery personnel, OBC couriers hold valid passports with multiple visas,... Read more

Components required urgently to restore operational equipment — from aircraft engines and semiconductor fabrication tools to medical imaging devices and oil rig valves. Critical spare parts logistics is a core use case for OBC, NFO,... Read more

A service provided by licensed customs brokers who facilitate the clearance of goods through customs authorities on behalf of importers and exporters. In time-critical logistics, pre-clearance is essential — the broker prepares and files all... Read more

The process of satisfying customs authority requirements to allow goods to enter or leave a country. This includes submitting documentation (AWB, commercial invoice, packing list, certificates), paying duties and taxes, and obtaining release from customs... Read more

Articles or substances capable of posing a risk to health, safety, property, or the environment when transported by air. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) classifies dangerous goods into 9 classes (explosives, gases, flammable liquids,... Read more

An Incoterm (2020) where the seller is responsible for all costs and risks of delivering the goods to the named destination, excluding import customs clearance and any applicable import duties. The buyer handles import formalities... Read more

An Incoterm (2020) where the seller is responsible for all costs and risks of delivering the goods to the named destination and unloading them from the arriving conveyance. DPU is the only Incoterm where the... Read more

An Incoterm (2020) representing the maximum obligation for the seller, who bears all costs and risks including import customs clearance, duties, and taxes to deliver goods to the named destination. DDP is the true "door-to-door"... Read more

A pouch or container used by diplomatic missions to transport official correspondence and documents, protected from search or seizure under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (1961). While not a commercial logistics service, diplomatic bags... Read more

A logistics service model where the provider manages the entire shipment journey — from pickup at the sender's location to delivery at the recipient's location, including all intermediate transport, customs clearance, and handling. Door-to-door is... Read more

Items, software, and technology that can be used for both civilian and military applications. Dual-use goods are subject to export control regulations — such as the EU Dual-Use Regulation, the US Export Administration Regulations (EAR),... Read more

A tax or tariff levied by a government on imported (and sometimes exported) goods. Duty rates are determined by the HS code classification, the country of origin, and applicable trade agreements. In time-critical logistics, duty... Read more

Electronic Air Waybill — the digital equivalent of the paper air waybill, eliminating the need for physical AWB documents. The e-AWB is the default contract of carriage for shipments where the origin and destination airports... Read more

Electrostatic Discharge protection — measures taken to prevent damage to sensitive electronic components from static electricity. ESD can destroy semiconductor devices, damage circuit boards, and corrupt data storage media. In time-critical logistics, ESD protection includes... Read more

An Incoterm (2020) where the seller makes the goods available at their premises or another named place (factory, warehouse). The buyer bears all costs and risks from that point onward — including pickup, transport, export/import... Read more

Baggage that exceeds an airline's standard weight or piece allowance for a passenger ticket. In OBC logistics, the shipment is typically checked as excess baggage when it is too large or heavy to be carried... Read more

A government-issued authorization required to export certain controlled goods, technology, or software from a country. Export licenses are distinct from import licenses and are required for dual-use items, military/defense articles, items subject to sanctions, and... Read more

A code used to identify a specific flight, consisting of the airline's IATA designator (2 characters) followed by a 1-4 digit number (e.g., CA931, LH721, EK302). Flight numbers are used in booking confirmations, air waybills,... Read more

Front Opening Unified Pod — a standardized sealed container used in semiconductor manufacturing to transport 300mm silicon wafers between processing tools within a fab. FOUPs maintain a controlled internal environment (particle-free, nitrogen-purged) and interface directly... Read more

An Incoterm (2020) where the seller delivers goods to a carrier or another person nominated by the buyer at the seller's premises or another named place. The seller is responsible for export clearance; the buyer... Read more

An Incoterm (2020) applicable only to sea and inland waterway transport where the seller's responsibility ends once the goods are loaded on board the vessel at the named port of shipment. The buyer bears all... Read more

A designated area within a country where goods may be imported, stored, handled, manufactured, and re-exported without customs duties or other trade barriers until the goods leave the zone for domestic consumption. FTZs are strategically... Read more

A billing arrangement where the transportation charges are paid by the consignee (recipient) upon delivery, rather than by the shipper at origin. The AWB is marked "CC" (Charges Collect) in the billing section. Freight Collect... Read more

An intermediary that arranges the transport of goods on behalf of shippers, coordinating with carriers, customs brokers, and other logistics providers. In time-critical logistics, the freight forwarder acts as the operations nerve center — booking... Read more

A shipment designation indicating that the transportation charges have been paid by the shipper. The opposite is "Freight Collect" (or "Charges Collect"), where the consignee pays upon delivery. In time-critical logistics, prepaid freight is standard... Read more

Adherence to Good Distribution Practice guidelines established by the European Commission (and adopted by the WHO) for the proper distribution of medicinal products. GDP covers all aspects of the pharmaceutical supply chain: procurement, storage, transportation,... Read more

An official aviation document required for every international flight, certifying that the aircraft, crew, passengers, and cargo comply with the regulations of the departure and arrival countries. For cargo flights, the General Declaration includes details... Read more

An umbrella term for "Good Practice" quality guidelines and regulations in the pharmaceutical and life sciences industries. GxP includes GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice), GDP (Good Distribution Practice), GLP (Good Laboratory Practice), GCP (Good Clinical Practice),... Read more

A logistics service similar to OBC in which a professional courier personally escorts a shipment aboard a commercial flight. The courier maintains physical possession of the goods throughout the entire journey, ensuring maximum security and... Read more

An internationally standardized system of names and numbers to classify traded products, developed and maintained by the World Customs Organization (WCO). The HS code hierarchy uses 6 digits globally, with countries adding further digits for... Read more

A transport document issued by a freight forwarder to the shipper when the forwarder consolidates multiple shipments under a single Master Air Waybill (MAWB) for airline carriage. The HAWB covers the individual shipper's portion of... Read more

A major airport that serves as a central connecting point for an airline's route network, where passengers and cargo are consolidated from smaller "spoke" airports and redistributed to their final destinations. Hub airports are critical... Read more

A two-character code (IATA designator) assigned to each airline for use in reservations, ticketing, and air waybill documentation. Codes can be two letters (e.g., CA for Air China, LH for Lufthansa, EK for Emirates) or... Read more

A three-letter code assigned by the International Air Transport Association to identify airports and metropolitan areas worldwide. IATA codes are the most commonly used airport identifiers in commercial aviation and logistics (e.g., PVG for Shanghai... Read more

The IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations — the global standard for shipping dangerous goods by air, published annually by IATA. The DGR incorporates the ICAO Technical Instructions and adds more restrictive provisions where justified. The DGR... Read more

A four-letter code assigned by the International Civil Aviation Organization to identify airports and air navigation facilities worldwide. The first letter generally indicates the region (Z for China, E for northern Europe, K for the... Read more

A government-issued permit required to import certain restricted or controlled goods into a country. Items commonly requiring import licenses include pharmaceuticals, chemicals, telecommunications equipment, military/dual-use items, and some food products. In time-critical logistics, missing or... Read more

A trade association representing approximately 320 airlines comprising 83% of global air traffic. IATA sets standards for airline operations, safety, ticketing, and — critically for logistics — dangerous goods regulations (IATA DGR), live animal regulations... Read more

A United Nations specialized agency that establishes the standards and recommended practices (SARPs) governing international civil aviation. ICAO sets policies on aviation safety, security, efficiency, and environmental protection. ICAO assigns unique 4-letter airport codes (e.g.,... Read more

A set of 11 internationally recognized trade terms published by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) that define the responsibilities of buyers and sellers for the delivery of goods. Incoterms specify who is responsible for... Read more

The International Traffic in Arms Regulations — a set of United States government regulations that control the export and import of defense-related articles, services, and technical data on the United States Munitions List (USML). ITAR... Read more

A manufacturing and inventory management strategy that aligns raw material orders from suppliers directly with production schedules, minimizing or eliminating wareholding costs. JIT makes manufacturers highly dependent on reliable, on-time delivery — any delay in... Read more

Quantifiable metrics used to evaluate the performance of logistics operations against defined targets. Common KPIs in time-critical logistics include: On-Time Delivery rate (primary), response time (time from order to courier dispatch), transit time accuracy, customs... Read more

Authorization from a country's civil aviation authority allowing an aircraft to land at a specific airport within its territory. Landing permits (also called "slots" or "PPR" — Prior Permission Required) are distinct from airport slots... Read more

The final leg of the logistics chain — from the destination airport or hub to the end recipient's location. In time-critical logistics, last-mile execution is often the difference between meeting and missing a deadline. Options... Read more

The total elapsed time from placing an order to receiving the goods. In conventional logistics, lead time includes order processing, manufacturing, packing, shipping, and delivery — often measured in days or weeks. In time-critical logistics,... Read more

Rechargeable (lithium ion, Li-ion) and non-rechargeable (lithium metal) batteries classified as Class 9 Dangerous Goods under IATA DGR when shipped by air. Lithium batteries are the most commonly shipped DG in time-critical logistics — found... Read more

The air waybill issued by the airline covering a consolidated shipment arranged by a freight forwarder. One MAWB can contain multiple HAWBs (individual shipments from different shippers).The MAWB is the contract between the airline and... Read more

A premium airport service where a dedicated agent meets a passenger (or OBC courier) at the aircraft door upon arrival and escorts them through fast-track immigration, security, and transfer processes to their connecting flight or... Read more

The shortest time interval required between the arrival of one flight and the departure of a connecting flight at a given airport, as published by IATA. MCT varies by airport and by whether the connection... Read more

A smaller commercial aircraft with a single aisle in the passenger cabin, typically used for short-to-medium-haul domestic and regional routes. Common narrowbody types include Boeing 737, Airbus A320 family, and Embraer E-Jets. Narrowbody aircraft have... Read more

A time-critical shipping service that books cargo on the next available commercial flight as priority freight. Unlike OBC, there is no dedicated courier — the shipment travels as air cargo with priority handling and expedited... Read more

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A premium time-critical logistics service in which a dedicated courier hand-carries a shipment on board a commercial aircraft, maintaining physical possession from origin pickup through destination delivery. OBC provides the fastest possible door-to-door transit for... Read more

The percentage of shipments delivered within the agreed transit time window. OTD is the primary performance metric for time-critical logistics providers and is typically measured monthly across all shipments. Industry benchmarks: standard air freight 85-90%,... Read more

Authorization from a sovereign state allowing an aircraft to fly through its airspace without landing. Overflight permits are required for all international flights and must be obtained before departure — failure to secure a permit... Read more

A detailed shipping document that itemizes the contents of each package in a shipment — including quantities, dimensions, weights, and package markings. Unlike the commercial invoice, the packing list does not include prices. Customs authorities... Read more

Substances that absorb or release thermal energy during phase transitions (typically solid-liquid) to maintain a stable temperature environment inside insulated shipping containers. PCM packs are "conditioned" (pre-frozen or pre-cooled) before use, then placed around the... Read more

An official certificate issued by the national plant protection organization of the exporting country, attesting that plants, plant products, or regulated articles comply with the importing country's phytosanitary requirements. While most commonly associated with agricultural... Read more

A warehouse fulfillment process where individual items are selected from inventory (pick) and packaged for shipment (pack). In time-critical logistics, pick-and-pack speed is critical — FlashGL operates dedicated OBC staging areas at major hub airports... Read more

A tier of air freight service that offers faster handling and transit than standard air cargo but without the dedicated courier of OBC or the guaranteed next-flight booking of NFO. Priority air freight typically receives... Read more

A manufacturing emergency where a production line has stopped due to a missing or failed component, causing immediate revenue loss and cascading supply chain disruption. PLD is the automotive and semiconductor industry equivalent of AOG... Read more

Documentary evidence that a shipment has been delivered to the intended recipient. In time-critical logistics, POD typically includes the recipient's signature, printed name, date and time of delivery, and sometimes a photograph. Digital POD systems... Read more

In pharmaceutical logistics, a QP is a certified professional responsible for certifying that each batch of a medicinal product has been manufactured and distributed in accordance with GMP/GDP requirements before it is released to market.... Read more

The export of goods that were previously imported into a country, without significant processing or modification. Re-export is common in time-critical logistics when a defective part is removed from equipment and returned to the manufacturer... Read more

A formal document or online form submitted by a shipper to a logistics provider requesting a price quote and service proposal for a specific shipment. In time-critical logistics, RFQs are typically urgent — the shipper... Read more

The process of moving goods from their final destination back to the origin for the purpose of return, repair, refurbishment, recycling, or disposal. In time-critical logistics, reverse logistics commonly applies to defective parts that must... Read more

A logistics service guaranteeing delivery of a shipment within the same calendar day as pickup. Same Day Delivery is the domestic equivalent of international OBC — a courier picks up the shipment and delivers it... Read more

The process of ensuring that a shipment does not violate economic sanctions, trade embargoes, or restricted party lists maintained by governments and international organizations. Key sanctions lists include OFAC (US), EU Consolidated List, and UN... Read more

A formal contract defining the expected service performance metrics between a logistics provider and a client. In time-critical logistics, SLAs typically specify guaranteed response time (e.g., 2-hour mobilization for AOG), maximum transit time by route,... Read more

The official technical name assigned to a dangerous good in the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations and the UN Model Regulations. The Proper Shipping Name must appear on the outer packaging, the dangerous goods declaration, and... Read more

A mechanical or electronic device attached to packaging that registers if a shipment has been subjected to impact forces exceeding a defined threshold (measured in G-force). Shock indicators are critical for sensitive cargo such as... Read more

A specific date and time allocated by an airport coordinator for an aircraft to arrive at or depart from a congested airport. Slot-controlled airports (e.g., LHR, FRA, NRT) require airlines to hold slots before scheduling... Read more

Special Service Request — a standardized code used in airline reservation systems to request special handling for a passenger or shipment. Common SSR codes in time-critical logistics: XBAG (excess baggage), AVIH (animal in hold), DGHR... Read more

A stop made by an aircraft for operational reasons — typically to refuel — without any commercial activity (no passenger boarding or cargo loading/unloading). In OBC and Air Charter operations, a tech stop may be... Read more

A compact electronic device that continuously records temperature during shipment transport and storage. Data loggers are mandatory for GDP-compliant pharmaceutical cold chain logistics, providing an auditable temperature record from origin to destination. Modern loggers feature... Read more

A customs procedure allowing goods to enter a country temporarily without paying full duties, on the condition that they will be re-exported within a specified period. Common in time-critical logistics for AOG parts (sent for... Read more

A monitoring device affixed to packaging that indicates whether a shipment has been tilted beyond an acceptable angle during transport. Some equipment — such as precision machinery, medical imaging devices, and semiconductor fabrication tools —... Read more

The total elapsed time from shipment pickup at origin to delivery at destination. In time-critical logistics, transit time is the primary performance metric and is typically expressed in hours rather than days. Key factors affecting... Read more

A four-digit identification number used internationally to identify hazardous substances and articles in the framework of transport. UN numbers are assigned by the United Nations Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods and... Read more

An insulated shipping container that has undergone formal thermal qualification testing to demonstrate its ability to maintain the required temperature range for a specified duration under defined ambient conditions. Validation involves mapping studies with multiple... Read more

A premium delivery service that goes beyond standard freight handling. White glove couriers are trained to handle sensitive, high-value, or fragile items with special care protocols — including cleanroom entry procedures, temperature-sensitive packaging, anti-static handling,... Read more

A large commercial aircraft with two aisles in the passenger cabin, typically used for long-haul international routes. Widebody types include Boeing 777, 787, 747 and Airbus A330, A350, A380. For time-critical logistics, widebody aircraft offer... Read more

Logistics Glossary

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