air cargo Africa

Attendees, exhibitors & solutions

Who this event is for

Industry trends

Key trends shaping this market and its wider industry.

Hotel tiers

A range of accommodation options near the venue and across key areas.

Local transport

Get around the city with these convenient transport options.

Frequently asked

Glossary

1

Air waybill (AWB)

The transport document issued by a carrier or forwarder for an air cargo shipment; it records shipper, consignee, route, weight and charges and is the basic paperwork every forwarder at Air Cargo Africa works with.

2

ULD (unit load device)

Contoured pallets or containers that let cargo be built up and moved as one unit through the aircraft and terminal; ULD pooling and repair services are a recurring topic for handlers serving Nairobi.

3

GSSA (general sales and service agent)

A company that sells and administers an airline's cargo capacity in a market where the carrier has no own sales office; common for carriers serving East Africa.

4

GHA (ground handling agent)

The licensed operator that performs physical handling, ramp transfer, documentation and sometimes warehousing for airlines at an airport.

5

CASS (Cargo Accounts Settlement System)

IATA's billing and settlement mechanism between airlines and accredited cargo agents, used to reconcile forwarder sales and commission.

6

Cold chain

Temperature-controlled movement from farm or factory through airport cool rooms, ramp and aircraft; critical for Kenyan flowers, avocado, dairy and pharmaceutical exports.

7

Perishable cargo

Time- and temperature-sensitive goods such as cut flowers, vegetables, fruit and fish that require fast cut-off, cool storage and priority uplift.

8

Pharma / CEIV Pharma

IATA's Center of Excellence for Independent Validators in Pharmaceutical Logistics standard for temperature-controlled pharmaceutical handling across the supply chain.

9

e-AWB

The electronic air waybill that replaces paper documentation; adoption reduces handover delays and errors at origin and destination stations.

10

Belly capacity

Cargo carried in the lower hold of passenger aircraft; a large share of Nairobi's export capacity moves this way alongside freighter services.

11

Freighter

A dedicated all-cargo aircraft used for heavy, outsized or high-volume shipments where passenger belly space is insufficient.

12

Break bulk / loose cargo

Cargo not built into a ULD and handled piece by piece, often requiring more terminal labour and longer dwell time.

13

Dwell time

How long cargo sits at the terminal between arrival and release or between receipt and departure; a key performance measure for perishable exports.

14

Customs clearance

The process of declaring goods and paying duties or taxes to the revenue authority before cargo is released for import or export.

15

Charter

A whole-aircraft booking, often used for seasonal perishable peaks, project cargo or humanitarian freight where scheduled capacity is short.