In air freight the flight is short and the wait is on the ground. A pack designed for a two-hour flight may not last if the consignment sits six hours at a terminal, so packaging and cold source are chosen for the total door-to-door time. Record the time of every step:
| Step | What to record |
|---|---|
| Acceptance at terminal | Time and document check |
| Security screening | Waiting time, whether the box was opened |
| Build-up onto pallet | Where it waits: cold room or open floor |
| Loading and arrival | Loading, breakdown and delivery times |
For dry ice, IATA Packing Instruction 954 requires packaging that lets the gas escape, the net weight of dry ice marked on the package and arrangements made with the operator for each shipment; the airline's own loading limit applies on top. If the required duration does not fit within that limit, eutectic plates are assessed.
Every transfer adds another terminal wait. Get cold-room availability, booking and data access from the carrier in writing; the loggers from a few shipments show which terminal holds goods longest, and the next packaging decision rests on that data.
