Import & Export Guides
Freighter vs Passenger Belly Cargo: How Piece Size Decides Your Air Freight Options
Oct
Most people imagine air cargo flying on dedicated cargo planes. In reality, a large share of the world’s air freight travels in the lower deck of passenger aircraft, underneath the passengers and alongside their baggage. Dedicated freighters carry the rest, including most of the large and heavy pieces. For a Bangladeshi importer shipping from China, the difference matters because it determines which pieces can fly on which routes, how quickly space is available, and why a forwarder sometimes says a shipment “cannot go on the next flight.”
This guide explains the difference between belly cargo and freighter capacity, how piece dimensions and weight limit your options, and how to prepare shipments so they fit the aircraft that actually fly the route.
Belly cargo and freighters: the basic difference
Belly cargo is carried in the lower-deck holds of passenger aircraft. Wide-body passenger aircraft have considerable hold space and can carry pallets and containers; narrow-body passenger aircraft have much smaller holds, often loaded with loose pieces. Because passenger flights operate on frequent schedules, belly capacity offers many departure options on busy routes.
Freighters are aircraft configured to carry only cargo, using the main deck as well as the lower deck. Many have large side or nose cargo doors, which allow much taller and bulkier pieces to be loaded. Freighters are essential for oversize, heavy or certain dangerous goods shipments that are not permitted or physically do not fit on passenger aircraft.
Why piece dimensions decide which aircraft you can use
Every aircraft type has physical limits: the size of the cargo door, the height of the hold, the floor loading it can take, and the contours of the unit load devices (ULDs) that fit inside. A piece of cargo must fit through the door and inside the hold, and must be built onto a pallet or into a container whose shape matches the aircraft position.
The exact limits depend on the aircraft type and the airline’s own rules, so your forwarder will check your dimensions against the specific flight. In general terms:
- Lower-deck height is limited. Tall pieces that fit easily in a truck may be too high for a passenger aircraft hold, even a wide-body one.
- Narrow-body holds are the most restrictive. Routes served mainly by narrow-body passenger aircraft can only take relatively small loose pieces.
- Main-deck freighter positions allow taller pallets, which is why machinery and large equipment usually move on freighters.
- Floor loading matters as well as size. A small but very heavy piece, such as a compact machine or a motor, concentrates its weight on a small area. It may need spreader boards or a specific position, a topic covered in our guide to ULDs, pallets and pivot weight.
Always give your forwarder the exact length, width, height and weight of every piece, including the pallet, before booking. A difference of a few centimetres in height can change which aircraft can take the shipment.
How this plays out on China to Dhaka routes
Air cargo from China to Dhaka can move on direct services or via transit hubs, and the aircraft used varies by airline, route and season. Some services are operated with wide-body aircraft or freighters, others with narrow-body aircraft. When the most convenient direct flight uses an aircraft with a small hold, your oversized piece may need to route via a hub where a freighter or wide-body aircraft connects to Dhaka. Our guides to Chinese departure airports for Dhaka cargo and air freight transit time explain how routing affects timing.
This is also why two quotes for the “same” shipment can differ. One forwarder may be quoting a direct belly service that cannot actually take a tall piece, while another quotes a freighter routing that can. Ask whether the quote has been checked against the piece dimensions.
Belly versus freighter compared
| Factor | Passenger belly cargo | Freighter |
|---|---|---|
| Departure frequency | Often many options on busy routes | Fewer scheduled departures on many routes |
| Maximum piece height | Limited by lower-deck hold | Much higher on main deck |
| Heavy and oversize pieces | Restricted | The usual choice |
| Some dangerous goods | Some classes restricted to cargo aircraft only | Accepts certain goods not allowed on passenger aircraft |
| Space availability | Depends on passenger baggage load | Dedicated to cargo, but can be booked up in peak season |
Dangerous goods marked Cargo Aircraft Only
Some dangerous goods are permitted on air transport only on cargo aircraft, not on passenger aircraft. Such packages carry a “Cargo Aircraft Only” label. Certain lithium battery shipments are a common example importers encounter, depending on how the batteries are packed and their specifications. If your product falls into this group, a belly-cargo routing is not an option, which can limit routes and departure dates. See our guides to lithium battery air freight and the dangerous goods declaration for how this is handled.
Preparing oversize and heavy pieces for air freight
- Measure after packing. Crates, pallets and protective packaging add size. The dimensions that count are the packed dimensions.
- Reduce height where possible. Removing a detachable part, laying an item on its side if the manufacturer allows it, or using a lower pallet can open up more aircraft options.
- Provide lifting points and a centre-of-gravity mark on heavy crates so ground handlers can move them safely.
- Use strong, forkliftable bases. Weak pallets under heavy machinery are a frequent cause of handling damage.
- Check the destination side. Large pieces need suitable equipment at Dhaka airport cargo terminal and on the delivery truck. Our guide to the Dhaka airport cargo clearance process covers what happens on arrival.
Common mistakes and their consequences
- Booking with estimated dimensions. When the real piece arrives at the airline terminal and is taller than declared, it may be rejected from the booked flight and re-routed, causing delay and extra cost.
- Assuming the next flight is available. If the next departure is a narrow-body passenger aircraft, a large piece simply will not fit.
- Ignoring chargeable weight. Bulky pieces are charged on volumetric weight, which can be much higher than actual weight. Our guide to chargeable weight explains the calculation.
- Not considering a charter for very large items. For exceptional cargo, a part or full charter can be the only practical option; see air charter versus scheduled cargo.
The right aircraft and routing depend on what you are shipping, its packed size and weight, and when you need it. Share your piece details early and we can check which services can carry it.
A worked example: shipping a tall machine by air
Consider a Dhaka factory that needs an urgent replacement unit for a packaging line. The supplier quotes the machine crated, and the crate is tall. The importer’s first instinct is to book the earliest direct flight. The forwarder checks the packed height against the aircraft on that service and finds it is operated by an aircraft whose lower-deck hold is too low for the crate. Two options remain: route via a hub with a freighter connection, or ask the supplier whether the machine can be shipped with a detachable top section removed and packed separately.
The supplier confirms that the top assembly can be removed and refitted on site with basic tools, which brings the main crate within the height limit for wide-body belly cargo on another service. The shipment flies in two crates under one air waybill. The lesson is that sharing accurate packed dimensions early opens up options that disappear once the cargo is already at the airport.
Every product, factory and shipment is different, so we do not publish fixed fees or timelines for air freight from China. Tell us what you are importing and ask us for a quote built around your needs. You can also browse our full list of services, see how our China sourcing and buying agent service works, or explore products in our shop.
