DHL cargo aircraft departing for international air freight route
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Air Freight Forwarding

Air Freight to Australia in 6–9 Days

Direct and consolidated air service, plus DDP, from any city in China to every major Australian city. Rates run 20–40% below carrier retail, with full customs clearance and GST included.

Air Partners: · Cathay Pacific · China Southern · Qantas Freight · Singapore Airlines
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Why It Matters

The Air Freight Lane Built for Australian E-commerce

If you sell on Amazon AU, eBay AU, Shopify or supply Australian retailers, every day of transit is money tied up in inventory. We built our China–Australia air freight network to compress that window, without the surprise destination charges that wreck your margin.

With weekly contracted space on Cathay Pacific, China Southern, Singapore Airlines and Qantas Freight, plus bonded warehouse partners in Sydney and Melbourne, we deliver predictable transit times and locked-in rates that hold for your entire shipping season.

  • Direct flights from SZX, PVG, CAN, HKGNo multi-stop routing — your cargo flies the shortest path.
  • Pre-cleared bonded warehouses in AUSame-day customs release reduces ETA by 1–2 days.
  • Battery & sensitive cargo channelsCompliant channels for lithium batteries, magnetic and powder shipments.
  • Rate-locked contractsAvoid weekly market fluctuations — lock in your rate for 30, 60 or 90 days.
Cargo aircraft on tarmac with ground crew loading operations
Real Operations

From Your Factory to the Aircraft

A look at how we handle your air freight shipment — pickup, prep, loading, departure, arrival.

Cargo aircraft at Shenzhen tarmac with palletized cargo loading
Departure

Direct Flights to Sydney, Melbourne, LAX, FRA

Contracted space on every major China–Australia route

Scania semi-truck dispatched for factory pickup
Pickup

Factory Pickup

Within 48 hours nationwide

Made in China cartons palletized and ready for inspection
Prep

Carton Inspection & Palletizing

Every carton verified, labeled, strapped before loading at our prep warehouse

FedEx multi-modal fleet at destination hub for air-to-ground handoff
Arrival

Destination Hub Transfer

Air-to-ground handoff at FedEx/UPS hub — final mile to your door or FBA warehouse

Transit Times & Pricing

China–Australia Air Freight Transit Time Table

Approximate door-to-door transit times based on 2026 contracted flight schedules. Actual transit can vary ±1 day depending on customs and last-mile.

Origin (China) Destination (Australia) Service Tier Transit Time Best For
Shenzhen / GuangzhouSydneyExpress4–6 daysUrgent, time-critical cargo
Shenzhen / GuangzhouSydneyStandard6–9 daysE-commerce, FBA, retail
Shanghai / NingboMelbourneStandard6–9 daysE-commerce, FBA, retail
Shanghai / HangzhouBrisbaneStandard7–10 daysQLD retail and B2B
Hong KongPerthStandard7–10 daysWA mining, retail
Any China CityAny Australia CityEconomy9–12 daysBudget-priority shipments

Air freight rates change weekly with fuel and capacity. Request a current quote — binding rates within 2 hours.

What Determines Your Rate

7 Factors That Set Air Freight Pricing

Air freight isn't a single number — it's a formula. Here's what we calculate when we quote you.

Chargeable Weight

Greater of actual weight or volumetric weight (L×W×H÷6000). Tight packing = lower cost.

Origin & Destination

SZX/CAN are cheapest. Direct flights to SYD/MEL cheaper than transit via HKG.

Service Tier

Express (4–6d) costs ~30% more than Standard (6–9d). Economy (9–12d) cheapest.

Fuel Surcharge

Locked weekly. Currently 12–18% of base freight, varying with jet fuel price.

Cargo Type

General cargo standard rate. Battery / fragile / oversize add 10–30% premium.

Season / Capacity

Sept–Nov peak adds 10–25% via GRI. Q1 typically lowest rates of the year.

Get Your Custom Rate

Binding all-in quote within 2 hours during business hours.

What's Included

A Truly All-In Air Freight Service

Most "air freight" quotes leave out half the cost chain. Ours doesn't.

Origin Pickup

Free pickup from any factory or warehouse in mainland China within 48 hours of booking confirmation.

Export Clearance

Full export documentation, customs filing, and CIQ inspection handled by our licensed customs broker.

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Direct Air Transit

Booked on direct flights with our carrier partners. Daily departures from China's main cargo hubs.

Australian Customs

Pre-arrival manifest, GST/duty calculation, customs clearance and ABF inspection coordination.

Last-Mile Delivery

Door delivery via Toll, StarTrack, Aramex, or direct truck — including B2B appointment booking.

Real-Time Tracking

Tracking updates pushed to your WhatsApp, WeChat, or email at every milestone — no manual chasing.

Information We Need

What to Send Us for an Air Freight Quote

Send these 7 details and we'll return a binding all-in quote in under 2 hours.

01

Origin City

Where your cargo will be picked up — factory or warehouse address.

02

Destination

Final delivery address in Australia (postcode is enough for quoting).

03

Product Name & Image

Helps us classify HS code and confirm air-safe handling.

04

Weight & Dimensions

Per carton: weight (kg) and L×W×H (cm). Total cartons.

05

Trade Term

EXW, FOB, DDP — let us know who handles what.

06

ETD

Approximate ready date so we book the right flight.

07

Special Requirements

Battery type, fragile, temperature, dangerous goods classification.

08

Contact

Your WhatsApp / WeChat / email so we can confirm and update you.

Common Questions

Air Freight FAQ

The questions we hear most from Australian importers and e-commerce sellers.

How long does air freight from China to Australia take?
Standard air freight from China to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth takes 6–9 days door-to-door. Express service compresses that to 4–6 days. The exact transit depends on origin city (Shenzhen/Guangzhou are fastest to Sydney/Melbourne), flight schedule, and customs release. Our average is 7.2 days door-to-door across all 2025 shipments.
How much does air freight from China to Australia cost?
Air freight rates change weekly with fuel and capacity. Pricing depends on chargeable weight (greater of actual or volumetric), service tier (Express / Standard / Economy), origin city (SZX/CAN cheapest), cargo type (battery/oversize add premium), and season. Send us your cargo details for a binding all-in quote within 2 hours.
What is the cheapest way to ship by air from China to Australia?
For shipments under 300kg, our DHL/UPS/FEDEX agent rates (sometimes called "express") are usually the best value per-kg and the fastest door-to-door. For larger air shipments from 300kg up to 1 ton, our consolidated economy air service offers the lowest per-kg rate. For shipments over 1 ton with relaxed timelines, sea-air combinations to Singapore/HK then air to Australia can save 25–30% vs pure air.
Do you offer DDP air freight to Australia with GST included?
Yes. Our DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) air freight service to Australia includes freight, fuel surcharge, security charge, export and import clearance, GST, import duty, and door delivery. You pay one all-in rate; we handle everything. This is the simplest option for Amazon FBA AU sellers and online retailers.
Can you ship lithium batteries by air to Australia?
Yes. We have a dedicated IATA-compliant channel for lithium-ion and lithium-metal batteries (UN3480, UN3481, UN3090, UN3091). We handle the DGR documentation, packaging certification, and carrier booking. Pure battery and battery-in-equipment have different transit options — contact us with the product spec.
What is volumetric weight and how is it calculated for air freight?
For air freight, chargeable weight is the greater of actual weight or volumetric weight. Volumetric weight (in kg) = L × W × H (cm) ÷ 6000. Example: a 60×40×30 cm carton = 72,000 ÷ 6000 = 12 kg volumetric. If it weighs 8 kg actual, you're billed on 12 kg. Tight packing matters more on air than sea.
Do you handle Amazon FBA Australia shipments?
Yes. We deliver directly to all Amazon FBA AU warehouses (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane) including appointment booking, FBA-compliant labeling, pallet preparation, and PO/ASN coordination. See our Amazon FBA service page for details.

Get Your China–Australia Air Freight Quote

Binding all-in pricing within 2 hours. No deposits, no obligations.

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