Ever wondered why a cargo company asks for so much detail about you and your shipment? It comes down to an aviation-security concept most people have never heard of: the known shipper.
Aviation-security rules divide the people sending cargo into two broad categories. A “known” consignor or shipper is one whose identity and security arrangements have been established and verified within the regulated air-cargo supply chain. An “unknown” shipper is one who has not been through that process.
The distinction matters because it affects how cargo must be handled and screened before it can fly. Cargo from unknown sources is treated with greater caution and must be screened accordingly before it enters the secure supply chain.
When you ship personal effects, you are an individual, not a regulated cargo business — so your shipment enters the system through a regulated agent who takes responsibility for securing and screening it correctly. That is part of why we ask for clear identification, an accurate contents list, and confirmation that the sender and receiver are the same person for personal effects.
It is not bureaucracy for its own sake. It is how the air-cargo security chain keeps track of what is flying and where it came from.
For you, the practical effect is simple: give accurate information, pack honestly, and let a regulated specialist handle the security side. That is exactly what we do — we operate within the regulated supply chain so that your shipment is correctly secured, screened and documented before it flies.
Because air-cargo security rules require that shipments entering the supply chain are properly identified and screened. Your ID and an accurate contents list are part of how your shipment is correctly and safely handled. It protects everyone in the chain.
Personal-effects shipping is for moving your own belongings when you relocate or travel — not for sending goods to third parties, which is a commercial activity handled differently. Keeping sender and receiver the same keeps your shipment within the personal-effects rules and helps with customs at the destination too.
No — because we handle the regulated side. You provide accurate details and pack properly; we take care of getting your shipment correctly and securely into the air-cargo chain. The complexity sits with us, not you.
We have been sending personal effects and excess luggage from the UK since 1998, from our base two miles from Heathrow. Tell us what you are sending and we will give you a clear quote.
Request a quote