Air Freight

How air freight works with MC Cargo

1. Quote: send the weight, dimensions, type of goods and supplier details. We return a full price including duty and taxes.
2. Supplier coordination: pickup, packing and documents.
3. Flight and tracking until landing at Ben Gurion Airport.
4. Customs clearance through our branch at Ben Gurion Airport.
5. Delivery to your warehouse or home.

How long does air freight take?

From China, about 5 to 8 business days, including pickup, the flight and release at Ben Gurion when the documents are ready in advance. For other origins we give an estimated transit time with the quote.

How the price is calculated: chargeable weight

Air freight is charged by the higher of two weights: the actual weight or the volumetric weight. Volumetric weight is length × width × height in centimetres, divided by 6,000.

Example: a carton of 60 × 40 × 40 cm weighs 10 kg. Its volumetric weight is 16 kg (96,000 divided by 6,000), so you pay for 16 kg. Tight packing with no empty space lowers the price.

On top of the freight come fuel and security surcharges, terminal fees at Ben Gurion, customs brokerage and the taxes: duty by product classification, purchase tax on some products and 18% VAT.

What usually goes by air?

• Spare parts: when a machine is down, each day of waiting costs more than the difference in freight.
• Electronics and components: small, valuable goods where freight is a small share of the value.
• Fashion: collections that must arrive before the season starts.
• Samples and prototypes: to check quality before a large order by sea.
• Stock top-ups: when a sea shipment is delayed and stock is running out.

Consolidated or direct?

Consolidated air freight: your goods fly together with other customers’ shipments under one master air waybill. The price per kilo is lower, and it is the usual choice for commercial shipments.

Direct air freight: your shipment goes on its own, on the first available flight. It costs more and suits shipments where every hour counts.

Airport to airport, or door to door?

With airport to airport, the supplier brings the goods to the airport in their country and you collect them at Ben Gurion after release. With door to door, we collect from the supplier, handle the flight, customs and taxes, and deliver to you. For new importers, door to door saves a lot of coordination.

What cannot be flown, or is hard to fly

Some products are dangerous goods in aviation. They fly only with special packing, labels and documents, and sometimes not at all: lithium batteries and products with batteries, perfumes and aerosols, paints and adhesives, and flammable products. Check with us before the supplier packs.

Documents you will need

• Commercial invoice with an exact product description, quantity and price
• Packing list: number of packages, contents, weights and dimensions
• Air waybill (AWB)
• Certificate of origin, when the goods come from a country Israel has a trade agreement with, such as the EU, the UK or the US. It can reduce or remove the duty
• Standards approval or import licence, for regulated products

What happens when the goods land at Ben Gurion?

1. The goods are unloaded at the cargo terminal and registered in the customs system.
2. We file the import declaration with the documents, usually prepared before landing.
3. Customs decides whether to release immediately, ask for more documents or inspect the goods.
4. Products that need approval are released only once the approval is in place.
5. The taxes are paid and the goods go out to you.

After a short period at the terminal, storage charges start, so it pays to have documents and approvals ready before landing.

Delivery terms and insurance

Air freight mainly uses EXW (you are responsible from the factory), FCA (the supplier hands the goods to your carrier) and CPT or CIP (the supplier pays the freight to Israel). FOB and CIF are sea terms and do not fit air freight.

The airline’s liability for loss or damage is limited by weight, not by value. For light, valuable goods that can be a very small amount, so cargo insurance is worth considering.

Mistakes that make air freight more expensive

• Oversized packing: the volumetric weight goes up and you pay for empty space.
• Vague product descriptions: “parts” or “goods” on the invoice delays classification at customs.
• Undeclared batteries: a shipment with batteries and no proper documents can be stopped before the flight.
• Standards approval not ready: the goods wait at the terminal while storage charges run.

Customs duty is calculated on the CIF value: the goods plus shipping and insurance to Israel, according to the product’s classification in the customs tariff. Purchase tax applies to some products only, and VAT of 18% is charged on the total. How customs duties are calculated

Frequently asked questions

Can pallets go by air?

Yes, as long as they meet the aircraft’s height and weight limits. We check this against your dimensions.

When is air freight cheaper than express?

There is no single weight that fits every case. The heavier the shipment, the cheaper air freight is per kilo compared with express. Send us the weight and dimensions and we will compare both options. Express shipping

Do you also handle customs?

Yes. We are a licensed customs broker with a branch at Ben Gurion Airport. Customs brokerage in Israel

Is sea freight an option?

For heavy or bulky goods that are not urgent, ocean freight is usually much cheaper.