Deep Freeze by Air Freight to Germany

Frozen Goods by Air Freight: Maintaining Quality Over Long Distances

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

When Ship Frozen Goods by Air?

• High-End Seafood: deep-frozen lobster, scallops, tuna, and other premium seafood for the restaurant industry—where quality deteriorates too much during long sea transport
• Pharmaceutical Frozen Products: vaccines, biologicals, and certain blood products that require -20°C or lower and cannot be shipped by sea
• Seasonal Urgency: when a specific frozen product must be available urgently—for example, for a major buyer or a retail chain that has missed stock
• Small, High-Value Batches: where the value per kilogram justifies the higher air freight rates

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

Exporting to Germany

Germany is the Netherlands’ largest trading partner and as an EU member state, air freight to Germany is a smooth, low-documentation operation. There are no export formalities for the free movement of goods within the EU. Nevertheless, many shippers choose air freight to Germany for urgent or valuable shipments that cannot wait for truck transport.

When to choose air freight to Germany?

• AOG (Aircraft on Ground) — parts that must be immediately available at another airport
• Time-critical production parts for automotive or manufacturing industries
• Valuable goods where road transport risk is too high
• Goods arriving by air from a third country that need to be in 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 often possible.

Key Considerations for Frozen Air Freight

Uninterrupted Cold Chain

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

Dry Ice — DGR Considerations

Dry ice is classified as dangerous goods (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 properly records this in the documentation.

Health Certificates

Frozen products of animal origin (meat, fish, shellfish) require a veterinary health certificate when imported into the EU and are inspected at designated border inspection posts (BIP). Aircargo.nl pre-notifies the shipment to the NVWA for smooth customs clearance.