Air Freight Chargeable Weight Calculator
IATA divisor 6,000 cm³/kg (≈167 kg/CBM) — shipment-level billing, the way forwarders and airlines actually rate it.
Air cargo (IATA) compares totals at shipment level: max(total volumetric, total actual). Express couriers bill per piece — switch modes above to see the difference.
Air freight booked through a forwarder is rated with the IATA volumetric standard: volumetric weight (kg) = L × W × H (cm) ÷ 6,000 — equivalently, 1 CBM ≈ 167 kg. The airline charges the chargeable weight: whichever is greater between the shipment’s total actual weight and total volumetric weight.
Note the difference from express couriers: DHL, UPS and FedEx use a 5,000 divisor and compare per piece, while air cargo compares the shipment total. A 10-carton consignment with mixed dense and light boxes can be cheaper as air cargo purely because of the comparison rule — use the divisor toggle on the main calculator to compare both.
Typical rate breaks
Airlines price per kg of chargeable weight with break points at 45 / 100 / 300 / 500 / 1000 kg. A shipment charging at 92 kg is often worth rating "as 100 kg" if the ≥100 kg rate is lower — ask your forwarder to check.
What divisor does air freight use?+
General air cargo booked through freight forwarders uses the IATA standard divisor of 6,000 cm³/kg — equivalent to 166.7 kg per cubic meter (1:6000). Express couriers like DHL/UPS/FedEx use 5,000 instead.
How is air freight chargeable weight different from courier chargeable weight?+
Two differences: the divisor (6,000 vs 5,000) and the comparison level. Air cargo compares the totals of the whole shipment — max(total volumetric, total actual) — while couriers take the max per piece and then sum. For mixed shipments the two rules can produce different bills.
What is 167 kg per CBM?+
The 6,000 divisor means 1 cubic meter (1,000,000 cm³) equals 1,000,000 ÷ 6,000 ≈ 166.7 kg of volumetric weight. Forwarders often quote this as "1 CBM = 167 kg".
How do airlines round chargeable weight?+
Most airlines round the chargeable weight up to the next 0.5 kg, and apply a minimum chargeable weight per shipment (often 45 kg rate breaks apply). Confirm rounding rules with your forwarder.
Can I enter dimensions in inches and get kilograms?+
Yes — dimension and weight units are independent here. Enter inches, read kg. The calculator converts internally and shows both kg and lb.