Air Arabia Cargo tracking

What is Air Arabia Cargo?

Air Arabia Cargo is the dedicated air freight division of Air Arabia, the first and largest low-cost carrier in the Middle East and North Africa. The division operates from its primary hub at Sharjah International Airport in the United Arab Emirates and moves freight using the belly-hold capacity of Air Arabia's Airbus A320 family fleet across a network of more than 50 destinations. Rather than operating dedicated freighter aircraft, the cargo division relies entirely on scheduled passenger services to provide regular cargo uplift, which keeps operational costs competitive and departure frequencies predictable for shippers.

Air Arabia was established on 3 February 2003 by Amiri decree issued by Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi, the Ruler of Sharjah. The airline began carrying passengers on 28 October 2003, becoming the first low-cost carrier in the region. By the airline's own account, it broke even during its very first year of commercial operations. The cargo division grew in step with the expanding passenger network as Air Arabia added hubs in Morocco, Egypt, and other markets in the years that followed.

A major fleet expansion was confirmed in November 2019 at the Dubai Air Show, when Air Arabia placed an order for 120 new Airbus aircraft comprising 73 A320neo, 27 A321neo, and 20 A321XLR models, with deliveries scheduled from 2024. This order secured the airline's capacity pipeline for the medium term and by extension, the belly-hold freight capacity available to Air Arabia Cargo. By 2023, the airline had marked its 20th anniversary having served more than 150 million passengers across more than 190 routes from seven hubs across the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia. In 2026, Air Arabia received a Skytrax World Airline Award.

• Founded: Air Arabia established 3 February 2003 by Amiri decree; commercial operations commenced 28 October 2003
• Headquarters: Sharjah International Airport, United Arab Emirates
• Parent company: Air Arabia Group, publicly listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange
• IATA airline code: G9, with Air Waybill prefix 514
• Fleet: 68 Airbus A320 and 9 A321neo LR aircraft used for belly-hold cargo; no dedicated freighter aircraft operated
• Cargo destinations: More than 50 worldwide
• Cargo management system: Cargo Flash, supporting real-time tracking and online booking
• Hub certification: Sharjah International Airport is the first airport in the GCC and Africa to hold IATA CEIV Pharma certification for pharmaceutical cargo handling
• Group subsidiaries: Air Arabia Egypt, Air Arabia Maroc, Air Arabia Abu Dhabi, Fly Jinnah, Air Arabia Holidays, Air Arabia Academy, Cozmo Travel, and ISA Technologies

The Sharjah International Airport hub gives Air Arabia Cargo a strong geographic position, sitting 13 kilometres south-east of Sharjah's city centre and approximately 20 minutes from central Dubai. This location places the operation at the intersection of key trade corridors linking the Gulf Cooperation Council states, the Indian subcontinent, North Africa, and Europe. The low-cost model of the parent airline translates directly into competitive freight pricing, while the high-frequency passenger schedule provides regular departure options across the network.

Which countries does Air Arabia Cargo deliver to?

Air Arabia Cargo's freight network is built around six operating hubs across the Air Arabia Group. These are Sharjah International Airport and Ras Al Khaimah International Airport in the UAE, Mohamed V International Airport in Casablanca in Morocco, Borg Al Arab International Airport in Alexandria in Egypt, Abu Dhabi International Airport, and Jinnah International Airport in Karachi in Pakistan. Each hub acts as both a freight origination point and a transit node, feeding a cargo network that covers more than 50 active destinations across the Middle East, North Africa, Asia, and Europe.

Within the UAE, five airports handle Air Arabia Cargo acceptance and delivery. Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah are the two primary online stations where scheduled freight moves as standard without special advance arrangement. Dubai International Airport at Freight Gate 3, Al Maktoum International Airport at Freight Gate 8, and Abu Dhabi International Airport at the Cargo Village all function as offline acceptance and delivery points available on advance request. Express trucking services connect these airports to the appropriate departing flights, including temperature-controlled reefer transport for bulk perishable cargo.

• United Arab Emirates: Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Dubai, Al Maktoum, and Abu Dhabi airports
• Arabian Peninsula: Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar
• Broader Middle East: Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq
• North Africa: Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, and Libya
• Sub-Saharan Africa: Kenya and Uganda
• Indian subcontinent: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives
• Southeast Asia: Malaysia and Thailand
• Europe: Destinations including Munich, Prague, and Warsaw, with further coverage growing alongside the passenger route network
• Central Asia and CIS: Commonwealth of Independent States markets served through the carrier's expanding schedule

For destinations beyond Air Arabia's own scheduled route map, interline partner agreements extend Air Arabia Cargo's reach to markets not directly connected to the airline's network. Under this arrangement, a consignment may travel on Air Arabia flights for part of its journey before transferring to a partner carrier for the final leg. Customs clearance at each destination is handled by local agents and ground handling partners appointed by Air Arabia Cargo, with the consignee or their freight agent responsible for collection from the destination airport freight centre once the shipment has been released.

What are the Air Arabia Cargo services and delivery times?

Air Arabia Cargo offers six service categories covering the full range of freight types carried across its network. General Cargo is the broadest option, accepting textiles, spare parts, electronics, accessories, personal effects, and most standard commercial goods, with a cut-off time of 6 hours before departure. Perishable Cargo covers four commodity groups. Fruits and vegetables are categorised under code PEP, flowers as PEF, fish and seafood as PES, and meat as PEM. These shipments move through climate-controlled facilities at the Sharjah hub where chillers are adjustable between +2°C and +25°C and freezers reach down to -20°C across a combined 1,200 cubic metres of temperature-controlled storage. GDP-approved monitoring systems are used throughout the handling chain.

Valuable Cargo provides a dedicated handling service for high-priority consignments requiring real-time monitoring at every stage, with space confirmed in advance rather than on a standby basis. Acceptance is required up to 90 minutes before departure. At the Sharjah hub, a dedicated strong room of 36.85 square metres and a secure vulnerable cargo area of 76.25 square metres provide the physical infrastructure for these shipments. Courier Cargo is tailored to the needs of courier companies and air integrators, offering high-priority loading with shipments processed under either an Air Waybill or a Courier Baggage Voucher, each carrying different per-package weight limits, with a 90-minute cut-off before departure.

Arabian Express Services is a premium product that guarantees space on a specific booked flight, removing the uncertainty associated with standby loading. This service is available only on select sectors and is intended for consignments where confirmed uplift on a particular departure is non-negotiable. Bookings must be made directly with the capacity control team. Mail Services complete the product range, offered in partnership with the Universal Postal Union for the transportation of postal items across the Air Arabia Cargo network, with a cut-off of 4 hours before departure.

• General Cargo: Standard commercial goods; cut-off 6 hours before departure; space subject to availability
• Perishable Cargo: Fruits and vegetables, flowers, fish and seafood, meat; climate-controlled storage from -20°C to +25°C; cut-off 180 minutes before departure
• Valuable Cargo: High-priority consignments with confirmed space and real-time monitoring; cut-off 90 minutes before departure
• Courier Cargo: Airport-to-airport service for courier companies and air integrators; AWB or Courier Baggage Voucher processing; cut-off 90 minutes before departure
• Arabian Express Services (AES): Guaranteed space on a specific booked departure; select sectors only; cut-off 120 minutes before departure
• Mail Services: UPU-partnership postal transport; standard mail bags up to 30 kg; cut-off 4 hours before departure

Air Arabia Cargo does not publish specific transit time guarantees for individual routes. For Arabian Express Services bookings, the consignment is guaranteed to travel on the chosen flight, which gives shippers certainty over the earliest possible dispatch date. For general cargo, perishable, and mail categories, space is not guaranteed on any specific departure, and actual loading depends on belly-hold capacity utilisation on a given flight. Perishable cargo receives priority ground handling, and the 180-minute cut-off compared to the 6-hour window for general cargo reflects the urgency applied to temperature-sensitive goods from the moment of acceptance.

What are the Air Arabia Cargo rates and maximum dimensions accepted?

Air Arabia Cargo calculates freight charges using the higher of the actual gross weight and the volumetric weight of a consignment, a standard methodology across the air cargo industry known as chargeable weight. A consignment that is bulky but light will be billed at its volumetric figure, while a heavy but compact shipment will be charged at its actual gross weight. An online volumetric weight calculator is available on the cargo portal to allow shippers to estimate their chargeable weight before submitting a booking request.

Published rate tariffs are not listed publicly. Pricing is available through the portal's quote request tool, through registered Air Arabia Cargo agents, or directly from the carrier's commercial team. Rates vary depending on the origin and destination airport pair, the service category selected, the commodity type, and prevailing market conditions at the time of booking. For Arabian Express Services and other confirmed-space products, rates reflect the premium attached to guaranteed uplift on a specific departure rather than standby loading.

• General Cargo: Maximum 100 kg per package; maximum dimensions 135 cm x 100 cm x 90 cm
• Perishable Cargo: Maximum 100 kg per package; maximum dimensions 135 cm x 100 cm x 90 cm
• Valuable Cargo: Maximum 32 kg per package; maximum dimensions 50 cm x 33 cm x 42 cm
• Courier Cargo via Air Waybill: Maximum 100 kg per package; maximum dimensions 135 cm x 100 cm x 90 cm
• Courier Cargo via Courier Baggage Voucher: Maximum 32 kg per package; maximum dimensions 135 cm x 100 cm x 90 cm
• Arabian Express Services: Maximum 100 kg per consignment; maximum dimensions 135 cm x 100 cm x 90 cm
• Mail Services: Maximum 30 kg per standard postal mail bag

Consignments that exceed the stated dimensional parameters are not automatically refused but must be assessed on a case-by-case basis through direct contact with the Air Arabia Cargo team. The standard liability limit applicable to lost, damaged, or delayed cargo is 19 Special Drawing Rights , SDR, per kilogram. A shipper who wishes to declare a higher value may do so on the air waybill, in which case liability is capped at the declared amount rather than the default per-kilogram limit.

What are the Air Arabia Cargo delivery options?

Air Arabia Cargo operates on an airport-to-airport model and does not offer residential home delivery, parcel locker networks, or post office collection services. Freight is tendered by the shipper at the origin airport freight centre and collected by the consignee or their appointed agent at the destination airport freight centre. This structure is built around the requirements of freight forwarders, logistics companies, courier integrators, and commercial importers rather than individual consumers expecting doorstep delivery.

Within the UAE, five airports serve as acceptance and delivery points. Sharjah International Airport and Ras Al Khaimah International Airport are the two primary online stations, staffed for regular freight intake without special advance arrangement. The three offline points at Dubai International Airport, Al Maktoum International Airport, and Abu Dhabi International Airport are available on request and connected to departing flights via the carrier's express trucking operation. Road feeder services within the UAE cover roller-bed trucks, low-bed transport, and 3-ton express vehicles, with temperature-controlled reefer options available for bulk perishable cargo moving between airports.

• Sharjah International Airport (SHJ): Primary online station; export handling at Terminal 5, import handling at Terminal 4
• Ras Al Khaimah International Airport (RAK): Primary online station for regular scheduled freight flows
• Dubai International Airport (DXB): Offline acceptance and delivery at Freight Gate 3, available on advance request
• Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC): Offline acceptance and delivery at Freight Gate 8, available on advance request
• Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH): Offline acceptance and delivery at the Cargo Village, available on advance request

Beyond the UAE, the airport-to-airport model applies across all destinations in the Air Arabia Cargo network. At international destinations, clearance and local handling are managed by appointed ground handling partners. The carrier provides no last-mile delivery capability at these locations. Consignees or their customs brokers and freight agents are responsible for presenting the necessary documentation to the destination customs authority and arranging collection from the local freight terminal once the shipment has been released.

What should I do if my Air Arabia Cargo parcel is lost or damaged?

Air Arabia Cargo's Conditions of Carriage set out specific timeframes for lodging claims depending on the type of issue encountered. For visible damage, a claim must be filed immediately upon discovery and no later than 14 days from the date of receipt. The same 14-day window from the date of receipt applies to non-visible damage. Claims for delayed delivery must be submitted within 21 days of the cargo being made available to the consignee at the destination freight centre. If the cargo has not arrived at all, the claim must be filed within 120 days of the date on which the air waybill was issued. Any legal action arising from a cargo claim is subject to a two-year limitation period running from the date of the relevant event.

• Visible damage: Claim must be filed within 14 days of receipt
• Non-visible damage: Claim must be filed within 14 days of receipt
• Delayed delivery: Claim must be filed within 21 days of the cargo being made available at the destination freight centre
• Non-delivery: Claim must be filed within 120 days of the air waybill issue date
• Standard liability: 19 Special Drawing Rights (SDR) per kilogram for destroyed, lost, damaged, or delayed cargo
• Higher declared value: Liability is capped at the declared value stated on the air waybill if this figure exceeds the default SDR limit
• Legal action deadline: Two years from the date of the event giving rise to the claim

Certain circumstances exclude the carrier from liability under its Conditions of Carriage. These include inherent defects or natural vices of the cargo, natural animal behaviour or death, consequential damages, compliance with government or customs requirements, and events outside the carrier's reasonable control. For perishable goods showing signs of imminent deterioration, Air Arabia Cargo reserves the right to destroy the goods without prior notice if they pose a risk to other cargo.

The primary contact for cargo claims and general enquiries is the cargo customer support team, reachable by phone and email during office hours of 0900 to 1800. Regional account managers cover specific geographic markets, with separate contacts assigned to distinct territory clusters. One manager handles India, Malaysia, and Thailand. Another covers Bangladesh, Iraq, Kenya, the Maldives, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Uganda. A third manages the CIS, GCC, Levant, and Pakistan markets, while a regional representative based in Morocco handles European and North African accounts. The General Manager of Cargo is also accessible for escalated matters.

Does Air Arabia Cargo handle international shipments and customs formalities?

Air Arabia Cargo carries freight across more than 50 international destinations covering the Middle East, North Africa, Asia, and Europe. As an IATA member carrier, the division operates in compliance with IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations and the standards established under the Chicago Convention. At each destination in the network, customs clearance is handled through local agents and ground handling partners appointed by Air Arabia Cargo, who work with the relevant national customs authorities to clear shipments for collection by the consignee.

The responsibility for preparing correct customs documentation rests with the shipper. Under the Conditions of Carriage, the shipper must provide all information and paperwork required to satisfy the export, import, and transit regulations applicable to the shipment. The shipper and the consignee are jointly and individually liable for any duties, taxes, fines, or storage charges that arise from customs proceedings. Air Arabia Cargo may advance duties and taxes on behalf of a shipment in certain circumstances but will seek recovery of these amounts from the shipper or consignee. When the carrier acts as customs agent during an inspection, it bears no liability for losses or fines that result.

• Export documentation: Export licences and any commodity-specific permits required by the origin country must be provided by the shipper
• Import documentation: Import permits, commercial invoices, packing lists, and certificates of origin as required by the destination country
• Health certificates: Required for food products, perishables, and certain regulated commodities depending on destination
• Dangerous goods: Full compliance with IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations and prior disclosure by the shipper mandatory before acceptance
• Live animals and human remains: Special declaration and prior arrangement with the carrier required before acceptance
• Valuables and high-value goods: Declared value must be stated on the air waybill; prior arrangement with the carrier required
• Prohibited goods: Any items banned under the laws of the origin, transit, or destination country will not be accepted
• Duties and taxes: Responsibility of the consignee at destination; Air Arabia Cargo may advance payment in specific circumstances pending recovery

The range of restricted cargo follows standard IATA practice. Dangerous goods will not be accepted unless the shipper has made full prior disclosure and the consignment is in full compliance with IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations. Goods prohibited under the laws of the origin, transit, or destination country are refused. For perishable goods that show signs of imminent deterioration, the carrier reserves the right to destroy the goods without prior notice if they pose a risk to other cargo. No Delivered Duty Paid service has been confirmed as part of the standard product offering, and under the default terms, import duties and taxes at destination are the responsibility of the consignee.

Understanding tracking statuses

When tracking a shipment with Air Arabia Cargo, the system displays standardised IATA-based status codes that indicate the position and condition of the cargo at each stage of its journey. These codes are generated by the Cargo Flash management system and can be viewed by entering the Air Waybill number on the carrier's tracking portal. Air Arabia Cargo AWB numbers follow the format 514-XXXXXXXX, where 514 is the IATA airline prefix assigned to Air Arabia followed by eight digits. Multiple AWB numbers can be queried in a single session by entering them separated by commas. The tracking portal also covers shipments booked through Air Arabia Abu Dhabi, Air Arabia Egypt, and Fly Jinnah, each visible through the central tracking interface.