When the aircraft lands in the destination city (often at 5–6 AM for cross-country flights), ground crews immediately begin unloading. Because these flights are often landing in the very early morning, airports typically have night shift crews ready to handle the cargo. If the shipment is domestic, it can usually be transferred to a waiting courier vehicle almost immediately after landing. If the shipment is international, there is an added step of customs clearance at arrival.
Next Flight Out (NFO)
Next Flight Out service means exactly what it sounds like: your shipment is put on the very next available flight heading toward the destination. Instead of waiting for a dedicated cargo flight later in the night, the logistics team will identify any commercial flight (passenger or cargo) leaving as soon as possible and book space for your freight. This is often used in emergency scenarios when even a few hours make a difference.
Companies use NFO for scenarios like emergency machinery repairs, medical transplant organs, or any situation where “overnight” is too slow and same-day shipping by air is needed. Many airlines and freight forwarders offer NFO as an option for critical shipments, and it truly lives up to its name: your package moves out on the next flight that takes off.
Dedicated Air Charter
If no scheduled flight can meet your needs (due to timing, origin/destination, or cargo size), the solution is often to hire a dedicated aircraft – i.e. book an air charter for your shipment. An air charter involves reserving an entire plane exclusively for your freight, allowing you to essentially set your own schedule. Logistics providers will arrange a suitable aircraft (from a small executive jet to a large cargo freighter) and have it fly directly from the closest airport near your origin to the closest airport to your destination.
This option is invaluable for oversized freight, remote routes that lack regular flights, or ultra-time-critical deliveries when even waiting for the next scheduled flight would arrive too late. When the contents are mission-critical (parts to restart an assembly line, relief supplies for an emergency, a satellite component for a launch, etc.), businesses find charters worth the cost. Charter brokers coordinate everything, including obtaining flight permits if international, arranging ground handling, and so on. Dedicated charters are the go-to for overnight delivery when regular airline schedules or capacities simply can’t get the job done in time.
Scheduled Overnight Cargo
Parcel couriers (express companies) have dedicated flights every night between major cities and hubs. Businesses can tap into these networks by tendering shipments to those carriers (like sending something via express service) and it will ride their scheduled overnight route. Aside from integrators, many commercial airlines also operate red-eye flights (passenger and freighter) that can carry cargo.
Priority overnight freight services will leverage these schedules: your shipment will be booked on a flight that departs that evening as part of the airline’s regular timetable, and it will arrive the next morning for delivery. The service is “scheduled” in the sense that the flight is not chartered for you – it’s a normal route – but your freight is moved on it as priority cargo.
Aircraft Selection and Ground Support
- Payload and Size
- Distance and Range
- Origin/Destination Airports
- Availability and Timing
- Ground Support Integration
Payload and Size
Distance and Range
The distance the shipment needs to travel will influence aircraft choice. Some smaller planes cannot make long trips without stopping to refuel. If you need to move freight 2,500 miles overnight, a long-range jet is preferred so it can go non-stop. Multiple stops add risk and time, so ideally a plane that can fly the full route directly is chosen. For ultra-long routes or intercontinental shipments, often a wide-body freighter or a combination of an international flight and local charter is arranged. In contrast, for a short hop of a few hundred miles, a turboprop might suffice and be more readily available. Speed matters too – jets fly faster than props, so for longer distances, a jet might be necessary to cover the ground in the overnight window.
Origin/Destination Airports
Not all aircraft can operate at every airport. Smaller regional airports may have shorter runways or less loading equipment. If your pickup or delivery location is near a small airport, using a compatible aircraft (small jet or turboprop) that can land there directly saves time. On the other hand, large freighters need major airports with long runways and cargo handling facilities (forklifts, high loaders, etc.). The logistics planner will consider whether it’s better to use a smaller plane to get closer to the origin/destination or use a big plane between major airports and then ground transport the rest of the way. For example, if delivering to a remote area, it might be worth chartering a small plane to fly directly into the local airstrip rather than sending it to a big city airport and then trucking for 5 hours. Aircraft like the Pilatus PC-12 are prized for their ability to use very short runways, essentially bringing the airport to the customer’s doorstep.
Availability and Timing
Ground Support Integration
As emphasized, having seamless ground support is as important as the flight itself. So the aircraft choice is also about what simplifies ground ops. For instance, if a shipment arrives via a huge freighter at a cargo airport, unloading might require forklifts and could take longer; whereas if it arrives on a small plane at a general aviation terminal, someone might literally unload by hand to a van in minutes. The urgency might favor the latter if feasible. Additionally, some shipments might travel partway by air and then switch to an expedited truck if that is just as fast for the final leg (especially if weather or airport constraints make flying the last 200 miles impractical). Overnight logistics providers will look at the whole route – sometimes putting the cargo on a midnight flight to a city 1000 miles away, then onto a dedicated sprinter van to drive the remaining 200 miles and still arrive by morning. The key is coordinating these hand-offs perfectly. Ground vehicles (from box trucks to cargo vans) are scheduled in advance to be waiting when the plane lands. Many providers have their own fleet or partnerships to ensure ground transportation is ready to go. The phrase “last-mile delivery” is a bit misleading for overnight freight – it might actually be a last 50- or 100-mile delivery by truck, which is often the case for areas not right next to an airport.
Piper PA‑31
The Piper PA-31 is a twin-engine, turbocharged workhorse widely used in corporate travel, commuter routes, and light-cargo charter aircraft operations. With space for nine passengers, its wide rear doors and removable seating allow operators to switch rapidly between passenger, medevac, and air & cargo layouts. It’s frequently chosen by regional operators and charter plane companies as an efficient solution for remote destinations, emergency shipments, and same day delivery runs.
Powered by piston engines that offer cost savings in fuel and maintenance, the PA-31 is ideal for economical short- to mid-range air charter express operations, supporting freight carriers and charter air service missions requiring flexibility and reliability.
Learn More About the Piper PA-31
Cessna 406 Caravan II
The Cessna 406 Caravan II is a light twin-turboprop designed for versatility across passenger transport and air cargo charter missions. With seating for up to 12 and a quick-convertible cabin offering over 3,000 pounds and 196 cubic feet of cargo capacity, it’s built for performance under pressure. The pressurized cabin ensures safe handling of high-value or pressure-sensitive shipments under expedited shipping or overnight delivery conditions.
A dual cargo-door design speeds loading for freight carriers and charter flight services, while optional belly pods provide extra space for smaller freight. Its ability to operate from short or unpaved airstrips makes it ideal for line-down operations, air charter broker missions, and same day shipping serving remote sites or shippers near me.
Learn More About the Cessna 406 Caravan II
Pilatus PC‑12
The Pilatus PC-12 is a highly flexible light turboprop used across civilian, military, and government applications. Its reconfigurable cabin supports up to 18 passengers or a fully open aircraft cargo bay for freight services. Large doors, a flat floor, and impressive payload capacity make it a go-to charter carrier for palletized freight, industrial equipment, or medical shipments.
With excellent rough-field performance, the PC-12 excels in remote or disaster-response air charter service missions where traditional delivery companies and ground vehicles can’t operate.
Learn More About the Pilatus PC‑12
Embraer EMB‑110 Bandeirante
The Embraer EMB-110 Bandeirante is a durable light twin-turboprop designed for regional air service and cargo transport. It offers seating for 18 or a reconfigurable cargo cabin suited for freight services and charter carrier operations. With its rugged structure and large access doors, it’s capable of hauling palletized freight to airports inaccessible to larger aircraft.
Its short takeoff and landing performance makes it an ideal aircraft for air charter operations, humanitarian missions, and rugged supply routes—critical for logistics service providers serving isolated markets.
Dassault Falcon 20
The Dassault Falcon 20 is a mid-size jet that easily transitions between passenger service, medical evacuation, and freight plane operations. Renowned for reliability and short-runway capability, it’s one of the most trusted aircraft for air cargo charter, overnight shipping, and emergency freight services.
Its wide forward cargo door enables loading of bulky or irregular freight, and it’s frequently used by charter jet service operators and air freight companies handling time-critical air shipments to airports inaccessible to larger freighter aircraft.
Learn More About the Dassault Falcon 20
Fairchild Metro II
This light twin-turboprop is known for flexibility across both passenger and cargo missions. Its spacious cabin and reconfigurable layout support freight services, charter carrier operations, and palletized freight transport. It remains a practical solution for air charter service missions to rugged or remote locations where traditional delivery services are unavailable.
Learn More About the Fairchild Metro II
Fairchild Metro III
The Metro III is a faster, upgraded version of the Metro II, widely used in the air freight and express cargo markets. Its extended fuselage, pressurized cabin, and improved engines make it ideal for same day delivery, next day air, and other time-critical shipments.
Charter flight companies and air charter brokers often rely on this aircraft for lower-cost operations while maintaining strong payload capacity and range—an advantage for overnight and regional air freight shipping.
Learn More About the Fairchild Metro III
Shorts SD 360
The Shorts SD 360 is a twin-turboprop optimized for short-haul missions, with seating for up to 36 passengers or cargo-only configurations. Known for rugged design and short-field performance, it supports charter airlines, express operators, and humanitarian flights needing reliable short-runway access.
It’s a preferred aircraft for air charter services, cargo carriers, and regional freight companies moving international freight to remote or secondary airports.
Learn More About the Shorts SD 360
Boeing 737‑300F
The Boeing 737-300F is a narrow-body twin-turbofan freighter delivering excellent mid-range performance. Converted from passenger service, it features reinforced floors and a large cargo door for efficient loading. This chartered aircraft is popular among freight carriers, air freight companies, and charter brokers seeking reliable cargo tracking and accurate freight quotation systems.
Its short-field capabilities enable operation at smaller airports, giving charter companies and freight carriers flexible routing options for same day and overnight shipping missions.
Convair CV‑580
This twin-turboprop excels in regional and remote cargo operations. Its reconfigurable cabin can accommodate up to 50 passengers or freight pallets, serving industries from mining to Arctic resupply. Operators and charter companies use it heavily for overnight delivery, express freight, and rugged air transportation networks requiring reliability.
McDonnell Douglas DC‑8 71/73F
A long-range heavy freighter ideal for global charter service and high-volume international freight. With excellent altitude performance, the DC-8 remains a favorite among freight carriers for moving large-scale air cargo across continents efficiently.
Boeing 727‑200F
A trijet built for short-runway hubs and express operations, the Boeing 727-200F features reinforced flooring, wide cargo doors, and rapid loading systems. It continues to serve the air freight, charter service, and express air transportation markets efficiently, especially where wide-body freighters can’t operate.
Boeing 767‑200F
The Boeing 767-200F is a wide-body twinjet designed for long-range, high-payload performance. Used by major air freight companies and charter operators, it anchors many overnight shipping and air freight shipping networks, providing efficient capacity for international freight and large-scale cargo carriers.
Airbus A300-600F
A mid-size twinjet freighter widely used for overnight shipping and regional express operations. It’s a core aircraft in North American air & cargo networks, supporting parcel and same day delivery routes with exceptional dependability.
McDonnell Douglas DC-10F
This three-engine freighter remains a trusted aircraft for express cargo, air charter freight, and large-volume deliveries. With strong payload capabilities, it continues to serve select airlines and charter plane service operators for long-range, cost-efficient freight transportation.
Boeing 777‑200F
The Boeing 777-200F represents the new standard for wide-body cargo aircraft. Combining long range with fuel efficiency, it’s the flagship for many air freight companies and charter carriers handling high-value international freight and next day air cargo shipments.
