Deep Frozen air freight from Germany to Israel

Deep frozen by air freight: maintaining quality over long distances

At first glance, deep frozen products may not seem like a logical choice for air freight — sea freight in refrigerated containers is much cheaper after all. But for certain deep frozen products, air freight is the right choice due to quality, freshness, or urgency reasons.

When deep frozen by plane?

• High-quality seafood: deep frozen lobster, scallops, tuna, and other premium seafood for the restaurant sector — where quality deteriorates too much during prolonged sea freight transport
• Pharmaceutical deep frozen products: vaccines, biologicals, and certain blood products require -20°C or lower and cannot be transported by ship
• Seasonal urgency: if a specific deep frozen product must be urgently available — e.g., for a major buyer or a retail chain that missed stock
• Small, high-value batches: where the value per kg justifies the higher air freight rates

Aircargo.nl is fully equipped for deep frozen transport: from dry ice calculation to veterinary notifications and NVWA clearance.

Exporting to Germany

Germany is the Netherlands' largest trading partner, and as an EU member state, air freight to Germany is a smooth, minimal-documentation process. There are no export formalities due to the free movement of goods within the EU. However, many shippers choose air freight to Germany for urgent or high-value shipments that can’t wait for truck transport.

When to use air freight to Germany?

• AOG (Aircraft on Ground) — parts that must be available immediately at another airport
• Time-critical production components for the automotive or manufacturing industries
• Valuable goods where road transport risks are too high
• Goods already arriving by plane from a third country and destined for Germany

Aircargo.nl offers daily connections to Frankfurt (FRA), Munich (MUC), and Düsseldorf (DUS). Due to the short distance, same-day or next-morning delivery is possible in many cases.

Importing from Israel

Imports from Israel mainly consist of high-tech products: medical devices, semiconductor equipment, defense components, and agri-tech. Additionally, the Netherlands imports significant volumes of fresh produce such as dates, citrus fruits, and flowers via Schiphol.

Air Freight vs. Sea Freight

Sea freight from Haifa or Ashdod to Rotterdam takes 8–12 days. Air freight via Schiphol is usually ready for clearance within 1 business day — essential for fresh products and high-value tech shipments.

Customs on Imports from Israel

Under the EU-Israel Association Agreement, many Israeli products benefit from preferential import duties or even zero tariffs, provided they have a valid EUR.1 or invoice declaration. Phytosanitary checks for fresh products are performed at Schiphol by the NVWA. Aircargo.nl manages the complete clearance including NVWA coordination.

Top Imported Goods from Israel

• Medical equipment and diagnostics
• Semiconductor and optical components
• Fresh produce (dates, citrus, herbs, flowers)
• Software-hardware and defense technology

Germany as a Crosstrade Partner

As an EU member and direct neighbor, Germany is rarely a classic crosstrade destination; however, Schiphol serves as a gateway for goods destined for the German market coming from outside the EU. Aircargo.nl regularly manages shipments cleared via AMS and then trucked to Germany—efficient and fast.

Deep frozen air freight considerations

Uninterrupted frozen cold chain

Deep frozen products must be kept at a minimum of -18°C throughout the entire transport. This requires dry ice (carbon dioxide, UN1845 — DGR-classified), certified freezing containers (unit load devices), or a combination of both. Aircargo.nl arranges the correct cooling based on flight duration and product.

Dry ice — DGR consideration

Dry ice is a dangerous good (UN1845, class 9) and must be documented on the AWB and Shipper’s Declaration. The amount of dry ice per shipment is limited by airline regulations. Aircargo.nl always calculates the required amount of dry ice based on flight time plus buffer hours and documents this correctly.

Health certificates

Deep frozen products of animal origin (meat, fish, shellfish) require a veterinary health certificate upon import into the EU and are inspected at designated border inspection posts (BIPs). Aircargo.nl pre-notifies the shipment to the NVWA for smooth clearance.