Air cargo
Air terminal storage: a clock that runs in hours, not days
Free time at air terminals is measured in hours, not days, and the storage fee starts running from a different moment depending on the terminal. We check when it actually started, whether that matches the terminal's own tariff, and whether the period wrongly includes non-working days when the cargo couldn't have been collected anyway.
How this differs from container detention
| Containers | Air cargo | |
|---|---|---|
| Who bills | The ocean carrier | The terminal operator, not the airline |
| Claim goes to | The carrier, under your contract | The terminal operator or via your forwarder |
| Free time | Days | Hours or a calendar day |
| Clock starts at | Discharge | Flight arrival, arrival notice, or customs release — depends on the terminal |
Unlike container detention, this invoice is usually issued by the terminal operator, not the airline — so the claim goes to a different party under a different contract. The biggest source of disputes: the difference between “from flight arrival” and “from customs release” can reach two days.
How it works
- You upload the storage invoice and the terminal tariff (or the air waybill with arrival/notice/customs-release dates, if you have them).
- We check from which moment the terminal actually started counting, and compare it with what its own tariff provides for.
- We check whether non-working days fell inside the billed period and whether the tariff provides for excluding them.
- You decide whether to raise the issue with the terminal operator — we only show you where the numbers differ.
Pricing
The same as for container D&D audit: 25% of the amount actually recovered or credited, capped at €5,000 per case, minimum €100 to bill. If we recover nothing, you pay nothing.
Frequently asked questions
How does this audit differ from the container detention audit?
The container detention invoice is issued by the ocean carrier under your transport contract. The air terminal storage invoice is usually issued by the terminal operator — not the airline and not, strictly speaking, a party to your contract. That's why the claim goes to a different party under a different contract.
From when does free time start counting?
It depends on the terminal — from flight arrival, from the arrival notice, or from customs release. The gap between the first and the last option can reach two days, and that's exactly where most disputes originate.
Are non-working days checked?
Yes. If cargo arrived just before a weekend and the terminal's release desk is closed on weekends, we check whether the tariff provides for excluding those days — this differs between terminals.
What pricing applies?
The same as for the container D&D audit — 25% of the amount actually recovered or credited, capped at €5,000 per case, minimum €100 to bill. If we recover nothing, you pay nothing.