MetEx House, 496a Great West Road, Hounslow, Middlesex, TW5 0TE  ·  Shipping since 1998
0800 096 38 39
✈️ Air Cargo & Freight • New York (JFK) • UK Customs Handled • Since 1998

Air Cargo to New York from the UK
Commercial cargo & personal effects, handled door to airport

We ship air freight from the UK to New York International Airport (JFK) — typically cheaper than airline excess baggage and faster than sea freight. We collect from your UK address, handle your UK customs export entry, and get your shipment on its way. You speak to real people who look after it from collection through to arrival.

📋 Get a Quote📞 0800 096 38 39💬 WhatsApp
4-10d
Typical air transit (working days)
JFK
New York International Airport (JFK)
28yr
Family-run, est. 1998
📍 Part of our complete Shipping to the USA hub — customs, costs & every service ›

Who we help ship to New York

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For businesses — commercial cargo, engineering and industrial equipment, retail goods, machinery, trade samples and urgent air freight.
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For individuals — personal effects, household goods, excess baggage and student belongings.

Why ship air cargo to New York?

New York is the world’s leading financial centre and one of its largest consumer and media markets — a primary destination for UK commercial trade.

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Finance — Wall Street and global banking.
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Media & fashion — a global creative and retail hub.
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Commerce — a vast consumer market.

New York is served by John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).

Why use a freight forwarder instead of booking an airline direct?

Most airlines won’t accept commercial cargo directly from occasional shippers, and the documentation and security requirements catch people out. We handle the whole process for you:

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Airline bookings and the Air Waybill (AWB).
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UK customs export entry and export documentation.
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Cargo security screening and Heathrow cargo handling.
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Routing to New York and handover to the consignee at destination.

What you can send as air cargo

We handle a wide range of cargo, for both businesses and individuals.

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General goods — clothes, shoes, textiles, household items and personal effects.
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Electronics — TVs, phones, laptops, tablets and computer equipment (subject to battery rules).
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Commercial & retail stock — subject to correct export documentation.
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Samples & documents — small commercial samples and paperwork.
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Machinery & spare parts — engineering, industrial and vehicle parts, correctly packed and palletised.
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Trade & exhibition goods — stock, displays and equipment for events (carnet where required).
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Medical & laboratory equipment — instruments and supplies (subject to any licences).

How air freight charges are calculated

Air cargo is charged on chargeable weight — the greater of actual weight or volumetric (dimensional) weight, which reflects the space your cargo takes up on the aircraft. A large but light shipment can cost more than a small heavy one.

Volumetric weight = length × width × height (cm) ÷ 6000 = kg  (standard air freight)
Our Gold door-to-door service uses 5000 cc = 1 kg. We work the chargeable weight out for you at the quote stage.

Air cargo service levels to New York

Choose the level that suits you — you only pay for what you need.

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Airport-to-airport — we collect in the UK, fly your cargo to New York International Airport (JFK), and it is cleared for collection there. The base air cargo service.
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Door-to-airport — we collect from your UK address and deliver to the destination airport, ready for the consignee to collect.
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Door-to-door — we collect from your UK address and deliver to the destination address, where destination conditions allow.

Air cargo to the USA & other US cities

Shipping beyond New York? We cover every major US gateway — door to airport:

All of the USALos AngelesChicagoMiamiBostonSan Francisco

We collect throughout the UK

We collect commercial cargo and personal effects from across the UK, including London, Heathrow, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Glasgow and Bristol. View all UK collection areas to find your nearest.

How your shipment reaches New York — step by step

1
Request a quotation — tell us the contents, weights and dimensions.
2
UK collection from your address.
3
Warehouse receiving, check and packing.
4
Security screening under UK aviation security rules.
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UK customs export entry.
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Airline booking and Air Waybill.
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Flight departure from the UK.
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Arrival at New York International Airport (JFK).
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Import clearance by the consignee or their agent.
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Collection or onward delivery at destination.

Transit times to New York — and what affects them

Most air cargo to New York moves within about 4–10 working days after export processing. The exact time depends on:

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Airline availability — how frequently suitable cargo flights operate.
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Security screening — mandatory for all outbound air cargo.
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Export & customs — documentation and clearance at both ends.
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Routing — whether the cargo flies direct or via a connecting hub.

Packing & weight requirements

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Any item over 30 kg must be securely crated or placed on a wooden or plastic pallet or skid.
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Wooden packaging must comply with ISPM-15 — heat-treated and displaying the HT stamp.
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Maximum 1,000 kg per pallet or skid. Wide-body pallet limit 120 × 100 × 160 cm.
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Cargo exceeding standard limits may need a Cargo Aircraft Only (CAO) service, which costs more — we’ll advise if required.

Dangerous goods

Items containing batteries, aerosols, flammable liquids or chemicals are strictly regulated under the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR). Depending on classification and quantity, some can travel with correct declaration and packaging; others cannot go by air. Tell us at the quote stage so we can advise.

We operate in accordance with applicable UK aviation security requirements and internationally recognised freight industry standards. We can arrange many classes of dangerous goods, subject to UK export controls, IATA regulations, sanctions and airline acceptance.

What’s included — and what isn’t

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Included: UK collection (per service level), UK customs export entry, and air freight to the destination airport.
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Not included: duties, taxes and VAT; import customs clearance; destination terminal, handling and agent charges; door delivery at destination unless confirmed; insurance unless confirmed in writing.

Booking & payment

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Bookings require a £75 non-refundable deposit. A 3.5% surcharge applies to credit-card payments.
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Quotations are valid for 14 days and are subject to space and availability at the time of booking.
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If a carrier revises their rate to us (for example, due to space or availability), we’ll advise you before proceeding.

Customs documentation for cargo to New York

We handle your UK customs export entry — the declaration that allows your shipment to leave the UK. As the shipper, you are responsible for ensuring the correct export documentation is in place.

What actually goes wrong on the UK–the USA route

After 40 years in this trade, the same handful of things cause almost every held, delayed or re-charged shipment to New York (JFK) — and none of them are about the freight itself. They are about declaring, coding, packing and simply knowing how an export works.

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Misdeclaration. CBP Form 3299 asks you to confirm the goods have been used and owned in your household. Listing items bought new for the move alongside genuine used effects is the error we see most — it changes how the whole consignment is treated, not just that item.
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No HS code on the commercial invoice. The commodity code is what the UK export entry and the USA customs both work from. Leave it off, or guess at it, and the entry can’t be filed cleanly — which means delay at this end and an argument about valuation at the other. Every line needs an accurate description, a value and the right HS code.
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Batteries and spare parts. This is the one that catches private senders and smaller businesses out most often. Lithium batteries are Class 9 dangerous goods under the IATA regulations, not ordinary cargo: loose lithium-ion batteries can’t travel on a passenger aircraft at all, they must be shipped at a reduced state of charge, and since January 2026 that same charge limit also applies to batteries packed alongside equipment. Damaged or recalled batteries are refused outright. Spare parts hide the same problem — an installed battery, oil or fuel residue in a used mechanical part, magnets, aerosols, paint. Packaging that is perfectly fine for a road courier is not automatically acceptable for air, and the declaration has to be signed by someone with current dangerous-goods training. Tell us what’s in it and we’ll tell you how it has to travel — or read our batteries & spare parts export guide.
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Incorrect packing. Every carton needs to tie back to a numbered line on the packing list. Sealed, unlabelled boxes are what turns a routine clearance into a full physical examination.
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Assuming it’s just a box. Most people who come to us have never exported anything before. There is an export declaration, a commodity code, a commercial invoice, packing that has to survive handling and security screening, dangerous-goods rules, and an import process at the New York end with its own paperwork. None of it is difficult once you know it — but it isn’t simply putting something in a box and sending it, and finding that out at the airport is the expensive way to learn.

Tell us what you’re actually sending — including anything with a battery in it — and we’ll tell you how it needs to be declared, coded and packed for New York before it leaves your door.

Air cargo to New York — frequently asked questions

How long does air cargo from the UK to New York take?−
Air cargo from the UK to New York (JFK) typically takes around 4 to 10 working days, depending on airline schedules, security screening, customs clearance and documentation. We confirm the expected transit time when we quote.
How much does it cost to send air cargo to New York?+
Air cargo is priced on chargeable weight — the greater of actual or volumetric weight. We provide a detailed written quotation based on the shipment details you give us. If the weights, dimensions and contents remain as quoted, that is the price you pay.
What is volumetric (dimensional) weight?+
Volumetric weight reflects the space your cargo occupies on the aircraft. It is calculated as length × width × height (cm) ÷ 6000 for standard air freight. You are charged on whichever is greater — actual or volumetric weight.
Is air cargo security screened?+
Yes. All air cargo leaving the UK is security screened in line with UK aviation security requirements before it is loaded onto an aircraft. We handle this as part of the export process.
Do you collect from my UK city?+
Yes. We collect from addresses across the UK for shipments to New York — we confirm collection details when you book.
Do you handle customs?+
We handle your UK customs export entry. As the shipper you’re responsible for the export documentation, such as a commercial invoice with HS codes. Import clearance at destination is handled by the importer or their agent.

Related services

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More on our UK air cargo service — air cargo from uk
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Customs guide — customs guide

Get a quote for air cargo to New York

Tell us what you’re shipping and we’ll build you a confirmed quote — volumetric weight worked out, UK customs export entry handled.

📋 Get a Quote📞 0800 096 38 39

Inside our operation

Our premises, our warehouse, our staff and our vehicles — photographed on the job. Not stock images.

Excess Luggage Co. premises near Heathrow
Our own premises — two miles from Heathrow
Shipment being wrapped in our warehouse
Every shipment wrapped and protected
Staff loading a container for export
Our staff loading for export
Our van at a customer's collection address
Our own van at a customer’s door
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