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237+ carriers · every region

Every airline is our airline

A hand-carry courier is only as fast as the next departure, so we are deliberately independent: no alliance, no exclusive contract, no preferred carrier. We buy a seat on whatever leaves first and gets your consignment there safely. This is the directory of scheduled carriers the couriers the desk places fly, by region.

One person beats a parcel network to Every airline is our airline

The freight chain is not slow because aircraft are slow, it is slow because a consignment waits at every handover. A courier removes the queues, not the kilometres.

OnBoard CourierOne person. One seat. One signature.
CollectedIn the cabin Delivered in Every airline is our airline, same day or next morning
Conventional air freightA parcel in a system, every handover is a queue.
Drop-offAcceptance cut-off Build-upFlight Break-downCustoms Delivered, day 3 to 5
0h24h48h72h96h+

When a seat beats a parcel, the full comparison →

Firm quote in 15 minutes

Tell us what has to fly. We answer with a flight and a price.

Five short questions. A dispatcher replies with a named departure, the delivery hour and one fixed price, day and night.

  • One named courier from collection to signature
  • Customs cleared in person on arrival
  • Licensed UAE company, proper VAT invoices

Why we do not belong to an alliance

Freight forwarders sign capacity deals. We do not, because the moment a courier is tied to one carrier, the shipment waits for that carrier's schedule. Independence is the speed. When you call at 02:00 and the next departure to your city happens to be a low-cost carrier from Sharjah, that is the flight we book.

Star Alliance

The largest alliance. Useful when a courier has to connect between two member carriers on one ticket, Lufthansa, Turkish, Singapore Airlines, Air Canada, United, Ethiopian, EVA Air, Air India and others.

oneworld

British Airways, Qatar Airways, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, Qantas, American, Finnair, Iberia, Royal Air Maroc, SriLankan and others. Strong for the Gulf, Europe and Gulf, Asia legs a courier flies most.

SkyTeam

Air France, KLM, Delta, Korean Air, China Eastern, Saudia, Vietnam Airlines, Kenya Airways, Aeroméxico and others.

Independent

Emirates, Etihad, flydubai, Air Arabia, LATAM, Virgin Australia and most low-cost carriers fly outside the alliances. That is not a drawback for hand-carry, we buy a seat on whatever leaves next, on any airline.

220countries and territories on the desk
500+airports a courier can be booked into
15 minfrom your message to a firm price
24/7the operations centre is awake

Three departure boards, one desk: Emirates, flydubai and Etihad for Every airline is our airline

A hand-carry is only as fast as the next departure. The desk watches three boards at once and books the one that lands first, then holds the one that leaves next.

Emirates

The night bank out of Terminal 3

Between one and four in the morning Emirates pushes back a wave of widebodies from Terminal 3 that reach Europe before the first meeting and Asia by the afternoon. For Every airline is our airline that wave is the reason a courier confirmed at eight in the evening is still delivering the next day.

Widebody only, non-stop to 140 plus cities
flydubai

The short sectors, several times a day

From Terminal 2 flydubai runs the one to five hour sectors: the Caucasus, Central Asia, East Africa, the Balkans, the subcontinent. Where a widebody leaves once a day, flydubai often leaves three times, which turns a missed slot into a ninety minute delay rather than a lost day.

Frequency is the fallback
Etihad

Abu Dhabi as the second runway

Ninety minutes down the E11, Etihad leaves from Zayed International with its own bank of departures and, for the United States, immigration cleared before boarding. When the Dubai departure for Every airline is our airline is gone, the desk looks at Abu Dhabi before it looks at tomorrow.

US preclearance at AUH

The desk holds no allegiance to a carrier. The booking goes to whichever board puts a courier at Every airline is our airline first, at a fare the quote can carry.

Every airline is our airline: every hour it waits is an hour it is not moving.

Five questions, one fixed price, a named flight. The desk answers within 15 minutes, day and night, and you decide.

The directory

Scheduled passenger carriers by region, with IATA code, home country, main hub and alliance membership. Jump to a region:

Middle East & Gulf · 25 carriers

AirlineIATACountryMain hubAlliance
EmiratesEKUnited Arab EmiratesDubai (DXB),
Etihad AirwaysEYUnited Arab EmiratesAbu Dhabi (AUH),
flydubaiFZUnited Arab EmiratesDubai (DXB),
Air ArabiaG9United Arab EmiratesSharjah (SHJ),
Air Arabia Abu Dhabi3LUnited Arab EmiratesAbu Dhabi (AUH),
Qatar AirwaysQRQatarDoha (DOH)oneworld
SaudiaSVSaudi ArabiaJeddah (JED)SkyTeam
flynasXYSaudi ArabiaRiyadh (RUH),
flyadealF3Saudi ArabiaJeddah (JED),
Riyadh AirRXSaudi ArabiaRiyadh (RUH),
Oman AirWYOmanMuscat (MCT),
SalamAirOVOmanMuscat (MCT),
Gulf AirGFBahrainBahrain (BAH),
Kuwait AirwaysKUKuwaitKuwait (KWI),
Jazeera AirwaysJ9KuwaitKuwait (KWI),
Royal JordanianRJJordanAmman (AMM)oneworld
Middle East AirlinesMELebanonBeirut (BEY)SkyTeam
Iraqi AirwaysIAIraqBaghdad (BGW),
Fly BaghdadIFIraqBaghdad (BGW),
El AlLYIsraelTel Aviv (TLV),
Turkish AirlinesTKTürkiyeIstanbul (IST)Star Alliance
Pegasus AirlinesPCTürkiyeIstanbul Sabiha Gökçen (SAW),
AJetVFTürkiyeIstanbul Sabiha Gökçen (SAW),
SunExpressXQTürkiyeAntalya (AYT),
YemeniaIYYemenAden (ADE),

Western Europe · 35 carriers

AirlineIATACountryMain hubAlliance
LufthansaLHGermanyFrankfurt (FRA)Star Alliance
Discover Airlines4YGermanyFrankfurt (FRA),
EurowingsEWGermanyDüsseldorf (DUS),
CondorDEGermanyFrankfurt (FRA),
TUI fly DeutschlandX3GermanyHannover (HAJ),
SWISSLXSwitzerlandZurich (ZRH)Star Alliance
Edelweiss AirWKSwitzerlandZurich (ZRH),
Austrian AirlinesOSAustriaVienna (VIE)Star Alliance
Brussels AirlinesSNBelgiumBrussels (BRU)Star Alliance
Air FranceAFFranceParis (CDG)SkyTeam
Transavia FranceTOFranceParis (ORY),
CorsairSSFranceParis (ORY),
French beeBFFranceParis (ORY),
KLM Royal Dutch AirlinesKLNetherlandsAmsterdam (AMS)SkyTeam
TransaviaHVNetherlandsAmsterdam (AMS),
British AirwaysBAUnited KingdomLondon (LHR)oneworld
Virgin AtlanticVSUnited KingdomLondon (LHR)SkyTeam
easyJetU2United KingdomLondon (LGW),
Jet2LSUnited KingdomLeeds Bradford (LBA),
Aer LingusEIIrelandDublin (DUB),
RyanairFRIrelandDublin (DUB),
IberiaIBSpainMadrid (MAD)oneworld
Air EuropaUXSpainMadrid (MAD)SkyTeam
VuelingVYSpainBarcelona (BCN),
IberojetE9SpainMadrid (MAD),
TAP Air PortugalTPPortugalLisbon (LIS)Star Alliance
ITA AirwaysAZItalyRome (FCO)SkyTeam
NeosNOItalyMilan (MXP),
Aegean AirlinesA3GreeceAthens (ATH)Star Alliance
Sky ExpressGQGreeceAthens (ATH),
LuxairLGLuxembourgLuxembourg (LUX),
KM Malta AirlinesKMMaltaMalta (MLA),
Cyprus AirwaysCYCyprusLarnaca (LCA),
VoloteaV7SpainBarcelona (BCN),
Wizz AirW6HungaryBudapest (BUD),

Northern & Eastern Europe · 18 carriers

AirlineIATACountryMain hubAlliance
SAS Scandinavian AirlinesSKDenmark / SwedenCopenhagen (CPH)SkyTeam
NorwegianDYNorwayOslo (OSL),
WiderøeWFNorwayBergen (BGO),
Norse Atlantic AirwaysN0NorwayOslo (OSL),
FinnairAYFinlandHelsinki (HEL)oneworld
IcelandairFIIcelandReykjavík (KEF),
airBalticBTLatviaRiga (RIX),
LOT Polish AirlinesLOPolandWarsaw (WAW)Star Alliance
SmartwingsQSCzechiaPrague (PRG),
Croatia AirlinesOUCroatiaZagreb (ZAG)Star Alliance
Air SerbiaJUSerbiaBelgrade (BEG),
TAROMRORomaniaBucharest (OTP)SkyTeam
Bulgaria AirFBBulgariaSofia (SOF),
Air MontenegroYMMontenegroPodgorica (TGD),
Air AlbaniaZBAlbaniaTirana (TIA),
Azerbaijan AirlinesJ2AzerbaijanBaku (GYD),
Georgian AirwaysA9GeorgiaTbilisi (TBS),
Ukraine InternationalPSUkraineKyiv (KBP),

North America · 20 carriers

AirlineIATACountryMain hubAlliance
American AirlinesAAUnited StatesDallas/Fort Worth (DFW)oneworld
Delta Air LinesDLUnited StatesAtlanta (ATL)SkyTeam
United AirlinesUAUnited StatesChicago (ORD)Star Alliance
Alaska AirlinesASUnited StatesSeattle (SEA)oneworld
JetBlue AirwaysB6United StatesNew York (JFK),
Southwest AirlinesWNUnited StatesDallas Love Field (DAL),
Hawaiian AirlinesHAUnited StatesHonolulu (HNL),
Spirit AirlinesNKUnited StatesFort Lauderdale (FLL),
Frontier AirlinesF9United StatesDenver (DEN),
Allegiant AirG4United StatesLas Vegas (LAS),
Sun Country AirlinesSYUnited StatesMinneapolis (MSP),
Breeze AirwaysMXUnited StatesCharleston (CHS),
Air CanadaACCanadaToronto (YYZ)Star Alliance
WestJetWSCanadaCalgary (YYC),
Porter AirlinesPDCanadaToronto (YTZ),
Air TransatTSCanadaMontréal (YUL),
Flair AirlinesF8CanadaEdmonton (YEG),
AeroméxicoAMMexicoMexico City (MEX)SkyTeam
VolarisY4MexicoMexico City (MEX),
VivaAerobusVBMexicoMonterrey (MTY),

Latin America & Caribbean · 15 carriers

AirlineIATACountryMain hubAlliance
LATAM AirlinesLAChile / BrazilSantiago (SCL) · São Paulo (GRU),
AzulADBrazilCampinas (VCP),
GOL Linhas AéreasG3BrazilSão Paulo (GRU),
AviancaAVColombiaBogotá (BOG)Star Alliance
Copa AirlinesCMPanamaPanama City (PTY)Star Alliance
Aerolíneas ArgentinasARArgentinaBuenos Aires (EZE)SkyTeam
Sky AirlineH2ChileSantiago (SCL),
JetSMARTJAChileSantiago (SCL),
Boliviana de AviaciónOBBoliviaSanta Cruz (VVI),
ConviasaV0VenezuelaCaracas (CCS),
Caribbean AirlinesBWTrinidad and TobagoPort of Spain (POS),
Cayman AirwaysKXCayman IslandsGrand Cayman (GCM),
BahamasairUPBahamasNassau (NAS),
interCaribbean AirwaysJYTurks and CaicosProvidenciales (PLS),
ArajetDMDominican RepublicSanto Domingo (SDQ),

Africa · 32 carriers

AirlineIATACountryMain hubAlliance
Ethiopian AirlinesETEthiopiaAddis Ababa (ADD)Star Alliance
Kenya AirwaysKQKenyaNairobi (NBO)SkyTeam
EgyptAirMSEgyptCairo (CAI)Star Alliance
Air CairoSMEgyptCairo (CAI),
Nile AirNPEgyptCairo (CAI),
Royal Air MarocATMoroccoCasablanca (CMN)oneworld
Air AlgérieAHAlgeriaAlgiers (ALG),
TunisairTUTunisiaTunis (TUN),
South African AirwaysSASouth AfricaJohannesburg (JNB),
Airlink4ZSouth AfricaJohannesburg (JNB),
FlySafairFASouth AfricaJohannesburg (JNB),
RwandAirWBRwandaKigali (KGL),
Air TanzaniaTCTanzaniaDar es Salaam (DAR),
Precision AirPWTanzaniaDar es Salaam (DAR),
Uganda AirlinesURUgandaEntebbe (EBB),
Air MauritiusMKMauritiusMauritius (MRU),
Air SeychellesHMSeychellesMahé (SEZ),
Madagascar AirlinesMDMadagascarAntananarivo (TNR),
TAAG Angola AirlinesDTAngolaLuanda (LAD),
LAM MozambiqueTMMozambiqueMaputo (MPM),
Air BotswanaBPBotswanaGaborone (GBE),
Air Namibia region · WestairWENamibiaWindhoek (WDH),
Air PeaceP4NigeriaLagos (LOS),
Ibom AirQINigeriaUyo (QUO),
Arik AirW3NigeriaLagos (LOS),
Africa World AirlinesAWGhanaAccra (ACC),
ASKY AirlinesKPTogoLomé (LFW),
Air Côte d'IvoireHFCôte d'IvoireAbidjan (ABJ),
Air SenegalHCSenegalDakar (DSS),
Mauritania AirlinesL6MauritaniaNouakchott (NKC),
Camair-CoQCCameroonDouala (DLA),
FastjetFNZimbabweVictoria Falls (VFA),

South Asia · 17 carriers

AirlineIATACountryMain hubAlliance
Air IndiaAIIndiaDelhi (DEL)Star Alliance
IndiGo6EIndiaDelhi (DEL),
Air India ExpressIXIndiaKochi (COK),
SpiceJetSGIndiaDelhi (DEL),
Akasa AirQPIndiaMumbai (BOM),
Pakistan International AirlinesPKPakistanKarachi (KHI),
AirbluePAPakistanIslamabad (ISB),
SereneAirERPakistanIslamabad (ISB),
AirSialPFPakistanSialkot (SKT),
Fly Jinnah9PPakistanKarachi (KHI),
Biman Bangladesh AirlinesBGBangladeshDhaka (DAC),
US-Bangla AirlinesBSBangladeshDhaka (DAC),
SriLankan AirlinesULSri LankaColombo (CMB)oneworld
MaldivianQ2MaldivesMalé (MLE),
Nepal AirlinesRANepalKathmandu (KTM),
Himalaya AirlinesH9NepalKathmandu (KTM),
Druk AirKBBhutanParo (PBH),

East Asia · 34 carriers

AirlineIATACountryMain hubAlliance
Air ChinaCAChinaBeijing (PEK)Star Alliance
China Eastern AirlinesMUChinaShanghai (PVG)SkyTeam
China Southern AirlinesCZChinaGuangzhou (CAN),
Hainan AirlinesHUChinaHaikou (HAK),
Xiamen AirlinesMFChinaXiamen (XMN)SkyTeam
Shenzhen AirlinesZHChinaShenzhen (SZX)Star Alliance
Sichuan Airlines3UChinaChengdu (CTU),
Shandong AirlinesSCChinaJinan (TNA),
Juneyao AirHOChinaShanghai (PVG),
Spring Airlines9CChinaShanghai (PVG),
Beijing Capital AirlinesJDChinaBeijing (PKX),
Tianjin AirlinesGSChinaTianjin (TSN),
Cathay PacificCXHong Kong SARHong Kong (HKG)oneworld
HK ExpressUOHong Kong SARHong Kong (HKG),
Hong Kong AirlinesHXHong Kong SARHong Kong (HKG),
Greater Bay AirlinesHBHong Kong SARHong Kong (HKG),
China AirlinesCITaiwanTaipei (TPE)SkyTeam
EVA AirBRTaiwanTaipei (TPE)Star Alliance
STARLUX AirlinesJXTaiwanTaipei (TPE),
Tigerair TaiwanITTaiwanTaipei (TPE),
Japan AirlinesJLJapanTokyo (HND)oneworld
All Nippon AirwaysNHJapanTokyo (HND)Star Alliance
ZIPAIR TokyoZGJapanTokyo (NRT),
Peach AviationMMJapanOsaka (KIX),
Skymark AirlinesBCJapanTokyo (HND),
StarFlyer7GJapanKitakyushu (KKJ),
Korean AirKESouth KoreaSeoul (ICN)SkyTeam
Asiana AirlinesOZSouth KoreaSeoul (ICN)Star Alliance
Jeju Air7CSouth KoreaSeoul (ICN),
Jin AirLJSouth KoreaSeoul (ICN),
T'way AirTWSouth KoreaSeoul (ICN),
Air PremiaYPSouth KoreaSeoul (ICN),
Air BusanBXSouth KoreaBusan (PUS),
MIAT Mongolian AirlinesOMMongoliaUlaanbaatar (UBN),

South-East Asia · 24 carriers

AirlineIATACountryMain hubAlliance
Singapore AirlinesSQSingaporeSingapore (SIN)Star Alliance
ScootTRSingaporeSingapore (SIN),
Malaysia AirlinesMHMalaysiaKuala Lumpur (KUL)oneworld
AirAsiaAKMalaysiaKuala Lumpur (KUL),
AirAsia XD7MalaysiaKuala Lumpur (KUL),
Batik Air MalaysiaODMalaysiaKuala Lumpur (KUL),
Thai Airways InternationalTGThailandBangkok (BKK)Star Alliance
Bangkok AirwaysPGThailandBangkok (BKK),
Thai AirAsiaFDThailandBangkok (DMK),
Thai Vietjet AirVZThailandBangkok (BKK),
Thai Lion AirSLThailandBangkok (DMK),
Vietnam AirlinesVNVietnamHanoi (HAN)SkyTeam
VietJet AirVJVietnamHo Chi Minh City (SGN),
Bamboo AirwaysQHVietnamHanoi (HAN),
Philippine AirlinesPRPhilippinesManila (MNL),
Cebu Pacific5JPhilippinesManila (MNL),
Garuda IndonesiaGAIndonesiaJakarta (CGK)SkyTeam
Lion AirJTIndonesiaJakarta (CGK),
Batik Air IndonesiaIDIndonesiaJakarta (CGK),
CitilinkQGIndonesiaJakarta (CGK),
Royal Brunei AirlinesBIBruneiBandar Seri Begawan (BWN),
Cambodia Angkor AirK6CambodiaPhnom Penh (PNH),
Lao AirlinesQVLaosVientiane (VTE),
Myanmar Airways International8MMyanmarYangon (RGN),

Central Asia · 6 carriers

AirlineIATACountryMain hubAlliance
Air AstanaKCKazakhstanAlmaty (ALA),
SCAT AirlinesDVKazakhstanShymkent (CIT),
Uzbekistan AirwaysHYUzbekistanTashkent (TAS),
Somon AirSZTajikistanDushanbe (DYU),
Turkmenistan AirlinesT5TurkmenistanAshgabat (ASB),
Avia Traffic CompanyYKKyrgyzstanBishkek (FRU),

Oceania · 11 carriers

AirlineIATACountryMain hubAlliance
QantasQFAustraliaSydney (SYD)oneworld
Jetstar AirwaysJQAustraliaMelbourne (MEL),
Virgin AustraliaVAAustraliaBrisbane (BNE),
Rex, Regional ExpressZLAustraliaSydney (SYD),
Air New ZealandNZNew ZealandAuckland (AKL)Star Alliance
Fiji AirwaysFJFijiNadi (NAN)oneworld connect
Air NiuginiPXPapua New GuineaPort Moresby (POM),
Air Tahiti NuiTNFrench PolynesiaPapeete (PPT),
Solomon AirlinesIESolomon IslandsHoniara (HIR),
AircalinSBNew CaledoniaNouméa (NOU),
Nauru AirlinesONNauruNauru (INU),

This directory is a working reference, not a legal or exhaustive list. Airlines merge, rebrand, change hubs and stop flying, and IATA codes are reassigned, the operating carrier is always confirmed at the moment of booking. Carriers subject to sanctions or export restrictions are not listed and are not booked. OnBoard Courier is an independent hand-carry courier company and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or an agent of any airline; all airline names and marks are the property of their respective owners. If a carrier you need is not listed, ask, the list reflects what we fly most, not what we can fly.

On board courier vs air cargo

The same airlines carry freight in the hold of the aircraft your courier sits in. What differs is everything that happens on the ground.

On board courier

A person in a seat

  • Leaves on the next available flight, often within hours of your call, 24/7.
  • One named courier holds the consignment from collection to signature.
  • Travels in the aircraft cabin wherever the airline, cargo classification and security rules permit it; the transport configuration is confirmed before booking.
  • No warehouse, no consolidation window, no overnight sort.
  • Customs cleared in person, questions answered at the counter, immediately.
  • Same-day delivery is realistic on most sectors out of the UAE.
  • Built for high-value, fragile, temperature-critical goods and originals.
  • Proof of delivery with signature, ID check and a photograph within minutes.
  • A human being you can call at any point of the journey.

Air cargo & express freight

A parcel in a system

  • Waits for the next consolidation and space allocation, not for you.
  • Passes through many hands: hub, build-up, ramp, break-down, delivery agent.
  • Rides in the hold, frequently sitting in a warehouse overnight.
  • Each handover is a queue, and each queue is where hours disappear.
  • Cleared in a batch by a broker; one query can idle the shipment for a day.
  • Next day at best on most lanes, two to three days if it is held.
  • Chain of custody is a scan history, not a person with the box.
  • Signed for by whoever happens to be at the door.
  • Right answer for heavy, bulky or non-urgent freight, and we will say so.

To be straight about it: air cargo is not a bad service, it is a different one. It moves weight cheaply and it does that extremely well. A hand-carry buys back hours, and it is worth paying for exactly when an hour of delay costs more than a seat on a plane, which is the case far more often than most shippers assume, and far less often than most courier companies claim.

Questions about carriers

How the airline choice actually gets made.

01Which airline will my courier fly?

Whichever one departs next and suits the consignment. We are independent and buy tickets on the open market, so we are not tied to one carrier, one alliance or one hub. On a time-critical shipment the schedule decides, not a contract.

02Do you have contracts or partnerships with airlines?

No. OnBoard Courier is not an airline, an agent or an airline partner. We buy a normal passenger seat like anyone else. Airline names, codes and marks in this directory belong to their owners and are listed only to describe the network these assignments travel on.

03Can a courier fly business or first class?

Yes, and sometimes it is the right call, better rebooking priority, faster boarding and a guaranteed cabin bag allowance. The class is part of the quote and we tell you why we are proposing it.

04What about baggage limits for the consignment?

Cabin baggage rules differ by airline and route, and they are the real constraint on a hand-carry. We check the operating carrier’s allowance for the exact flight before we quote, and for oversized or unusual items we book an extra seat rather than risk the gate.

05Do you fly airlines that are under sanctions?

No. Carriers subject to sanctions or export restrictions are not listed here and are not booked. We screen the routing, the consignment and the counterparties before we accept an assignment.

Tell us the route, we will find the seat

Any airline, any airport, 24 hours a day. You get the carrier, the departure time and a fixed price by email.

On board courier, wherever it has to go

Every logistics option is a trade between cost, speed and control. Sea freight gives up speed. Air cargo gives up control. A charter gives up cost. An on board courier is the only option that keeps speed and control and pays for them with the price of a passenger ticket, which is why it exists at all.

01

The other thing being bought is answerability. When a customs officer has a question about a shipment, the shipment cannot answer, so it waits for someone who can. When the question is asked of a courier standing at the counter with the invoice in their hand, it is answered immediately. That is not a marketing claim; it is the entire operational advantage compressed into one sentence.

02

It is also worth saying what the service does not fix. It does not make a permit appear, it does not make a sanctioned party acceptable, and it does not make an undeclared battery legal. Where those are the problem, a courier only makes the problem arrive faster, which is why the screening happens before the quote.

03

For the destination specifically, that means the useful conversation is not “how much” but “what exactly is in the box, and when does it have to be in whose hands”. Answer those two and everything else, the routing, the carrier, the airport, the paperwork, the price, follows in under an hour.

How an assignment actually runs

A typical assignment is not complicated, but every step has a failure mode, and the difference between an operator and a broker is whether those failure modes were planned for before the courier left the house.

Minute 0 to 15

You tell us what it is

The first conversation is short and specific: contents, declared value, collection address, delivery address at the destination, and the real deadline rather than the comfortable one. If there are batteries, powders, liquids, biological material or anything regulated in the box, that is the moment to say so, not at the check-in desk.

Minute 15 to 45

We screen it and price it

Before a price exists we screen the parties, the commodity and the route against sanctions and export-control lists, and we check whether the destination requires a permit or a licensed consignee for that category. This is also where we occasionally say no, and a provider who never says no has simply moved the risk onto you.

Hour 1 to 3

A named courier is assigned and booked

Assignment is not a raffle. The consignment's value, its regulatory profile and the destination decide who is offered it. Visa eligibility usually narrows the list faster than availability does, which is exactly why a global courier network is worth having.

Hour 2 to 4

Collection, sealing and documentation

At collection the seal number is recorded, the goods are photographed and the paperwork is checked line by line against what is in the box. A description that does not match the contents is a common reason a hand-carry is held at the arrival airport, and it is entirely preventable.

In flight

The consignment stays in the cabin

It stays in one named courier's documented custody for the whole sector, in the aircraft cabin wherever size, classification, security rules and the operating airline permit it, and otherwise under an approved accompanied process. On the ground at any transit point the courier stays airside with it. There is no depot, no consolidation window and no overnight sort anywhere in the routing.

On arrival

Customs, then a signature

Clearance at the arrival airport happens with a person standing at the counter who can answer questions about the goods on the spot, which is the whole reason a query takes minutes here and a day in the cargo channel. Then the delivery, in person, against signature and ID.

Who books a courier

Hand-carry demand is not evenly spread, it clusters in industries where an hour of delay costs more than the flight. These are the ones that book us most often, and what they send.

Aviation and AOG

A grounded aircraft costs more per hour than the entire logistics budget for the month. Rotables, avionics, seals and the certification paperwork that must travel with them are the most time-sensitive freight that exists, and the desk sees them regularly.

Media, events and production

Rushes, masters, broadcast hardware and event material with a transmission or a stage time attached, deadlines that do not move because logistics had a difficult day.

Machine spares and line-down parts

A controller, a bearing, a die or a sensor whose absence has stopped a shift. The part is usually small and cheap; the stoppage behind it is neither.

Legal, banking and tender originals

Closing documents, tender submissions, legalised certificates, guarantees and instruments that only count as originals. A scan is not a submission, and a deadline at the destination is usually a clock on a wall rather than a courtesy.

Jewellery, watches and precious goods

Loose stones, finished pieces, movements and bullion documentation, carried in the cabin under one named person's custody and declared properly on arrival in the destination country rather than hopefully.

Life sciences and diagnostics

Clinical trial samples, diagnostic material, reference standards and biologics, most of them with a stability window measured in hours rather than days and a data logger recording every minute of the journey.

The paperwork that decides how fast it clears

Nothing delays a hand-carry as reliably as a document that says something different from the box. This is what we prepare with you before the courier leaves, and why each piece matters at the arrival airport.

Temperature and dangerous goods

Dry ice quantities, lithium battery watt-hours, biological substance classification and packing group all have hard limits for a passenger cabin. Some consignments to the destination country can travel exactly as they are; some need repacking; some cannot fly with a passenger at all, and we say so rather than finding out at security.

Seal and photographic record

A numbered tamper-evident seal applied at collection and checked at delivery, with photographs at both ends. It costs nothing and it settles every argument about whether a package was opened between the two points.

Legalisation and attestation

Documents that must be legalised, apostilled or attested to be valid in the destination country are checked before the courier collects them. A perfectly delivered document that lacks the right stamp has not solved anybody's problem.

Certificates and permits

Certificates of origin, health and phytosanitary certificates, dangerous goods declarations, export licences for dual-use items, import permits for regulated categories. We identify which of these the destination country wants for your specific commodity at the quoting stage, because discovering it at the arrival airport is far too late.

ATA Carnet and temporary admission

Where goods enter the destination country temporarily and leave again, demonstration equipment, exhibition pieces, professional gear, a carnet avoids duty entirely and gives the courier a document the officer recognises immediately. It has to be issued before departure; there is no retrospective version.

Proforma invoice for non-sales

Repairs, exhibition goods, replacements and samples still need a document with a realistic value on it. The value is what the goods are worth, not what you would like the duty to be, an understated value is a customs offence in the destination country rather than a negotiating position.

Dubai skyline at dusk
He who does not know his past cannot make the best of his present and future, for it is from the past that we learn.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan

What an on board courier actually costs, and why

We do not publish a price list, because a fixed table would be a lie: the same box on the same route costs differently at four hours' notice than at two days'. What we can do is be exact about which levers move the number, so nothing in the quote is a surprise.

The ground legs at both ends

Collection in the Emirates and delivery beyond the arrival airport are part of the job, not an extra. Where the delivery address is a long drive from the airport, or a second domestic sector is needed, we price it in from the start instead of stopping at arrivals.

Declared value and insurance

All-risk cover is priced on the declared value of the goods, and it is the number that matters, airline liability under the Montreal Convention is a fraction of what most courier consignments are worth. Understating the value to save a little on cover is a false economy the first time anything goes wrong.

How much notice you give us

A seat bought four hours before departure costs what a seat bought four hours before departure costs. Nothing about that is a courier margin, it is simply the airline's pricing curve, and it is the single largest variable in a quote.

What is always included

Ticket, courier fee, airport transfers, the hotel where an overnight is unavoidable, the documentation work and our operations desk being awake for the whole journey. What is not included is duty and tax in the destination country, and anything you ask for after departure that changes the routing.

Visas and positioning

If the routing to the destination country needs a visthe courier does not hold, either we assign a courier who does or we position one, and a global network exists precisely so that the answer is usually the first option rather than the second.

Distance and sector count

A direct flight is one ticket and one risk. A two-sector routing is cheaper on paper and more expensive in practice, because every connection is a chance to lose the consignment's schedule. We quote the routing we would actually fly, not the cheapest one that technically arrives.

Every quote we send is fixed before departure and contains the flight, the courier's fee, transfers and, where an overnight cannot be avoided, the hotel. The things that can change it afterwards are the things you control: a change of destination, a change of goods, or a delay at your end that costs the booked flight. Duty and tax in the destination country sit with the consignee unless we have agreed otherwise in writing.

More questions about the airlines we book

The questions clients actually ask before their first assignment, answered without marketing language.

01Can a courier carry more than one consignment?

Only where both belong to the same client and the customs position is clean. Mixing two clients' goods under one declaration into the destination country creates a liability neither of them agreed to, so we do not do it.

02How is delivery proven?

Signature, printed name and an identification reference, with a timestamp, plus photographs where you have asked for them. It is produced by the courier at the moment of handover, not generated by a depot three hours later.

03Do you handle customs at the arrival airport?

The courier declares the goods in person through the red channel, and where the value or the category warrants it we brief a licensed customs broker in the destination country in advance. Duty and tax are the consignee's cost unless agreed otherwise in writing.

04How quickly can a courier leave?

A vetted courier can normally be at a UAE airport within two to four hours of a confirmed booking. The real constraint is not our side, it is the next departure with a seat and a cabin allowance that fits. Because we use all seven UAE airports and buy on the open market rather than through one carrier, that next departure is usually sooner than people expect.

05Does the consignment ever go into the hold?

No. That is the definition of the service rather than a policy we could relax. It travels in the cabin, in the courier's custody, for every sector of the journey. If something genuinely cannot travel in a cabin, we will tell you that and discuss freight or a charter instead of pretending.

06What happens if the flight is cancelled?

We rebook. Before departure we already know the next alternatives across the carriers we can lawfully use, so a cancellation costs hours rather than a day. You are told the new arrival time as soon as we have it, not after you ask.

07Is the consignment insured?

All-risk cover on the declared value is arranged on request and confirmed in writing before collection. We do not rely on airline liability, because under the Montreal Convention that liability is a small fraction of what most courier consignments are worth.

08Can you collect outside the UAE?

Yes. Third-country assignments, collect in one country, deliver in another, are a normal part of the work, and they are routed through the fastest connection rather than automatically through Dubai. Where a courier already in the region can take it, that is what happens.

09What cannot travel with a courier?

Undeclared dangerous goods, controlled substances, weapons and weapon parts, counterfeits, unlicensed dual-use items, live animals, and anything whose parties or end use fail sanctions screening. Some regulated categories can travel with the right permit and packing; we tell you which case yours is before you pay.

From the operations desk

How jobs like this actually run

Illustrative cases, patterns from daily OBC work, details generalised for client confidentiality.

MediaLHR → DXB

A graded master drive for a premiere, no copies allowed to travel unaccompanied.

Post-house12:15
In the cabin16:20
Screening room01:30 +1
✓ Premiere ran from the original.
YachtingNCE → DXB

A regatta winch motor between two race days.

Chandlery13:20
Evening non-stop18:05
Marina berth03:10 +1
✓ Boat on the start line.
EnergyDOH → IAH

A turbine control card for a plant running on reduced load.

Handover Doha07:10
Non-stop08:55
Site gate Houston17:30
✓ Unit back to full output the same night.

Times are typical for these lanes; every job gets its own named flight and timeline before you confirm.

How it moves

A seat of its own, never out of sight

The case flies belted in the cabin next to the courier, never checked in.

Inside the aircraft cabin

Join the OBC network, become an on board courier

Every route on this site runs because somebody was willing to get on the plane with it. We are recruiting vetted couriers worldwide: we book and pay the flight, cover transfers and a hotel where an overnight is needed, and pay a fee for every completed assignment, stated in the offer before you accept it. You decide when you are available.

  • Flights paid
  • Fee per assignment
  • Assignments worldwide
  • You choose your dates
  • Training in our Academy

Estimate your price, live, before you talk to anyone

An indicative calculation on the OBC-One pattern: airline seat, courier duty, hotel where the routing needs one, transfers and handling. Pick any of the airports we serve, adjust the settings, the breakdown updates as you go. Nothing here is a binding price; the airline fare on the day decides the final number.

Indicative total ,
Happy with the estimate? Send it, done.

This sends exactly what you configured above, nothing to retype, no commitment. Indicative figures only; a person confirms the real fare and timing.

Aircraft wing above the clouds
A runway in the desert became the world’s busiest international airport in one generation.
The story of DXB

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Where to go from here

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Where this page leads

Hand-picked next stops, every card is a live page, not a promise.

Three ways the desk can move Every airline is our airline

Same courier, same cabin, different amount of ground work. The desk recommends one of these in the quote and prices the other two if you ask.

The lean one

Airport to airport

  • A courier meets your driver airside at the departure airport
  • The consignment stays in the cabin for the whole flight
  • Your consignee, or their broker, collects at the arrival airport
  • Cleared in person, questions answered at the counter

Best when both ends have people who can reach an airport.

Price this for Every airline is our airline
What most clients book

Door to door

  • Collection at your address, sealed and photographed
  • One named courier from that door to the signature
  • Customs cleared in person on arrival, duties handled as agreed
  • Proof of delivery with signature, identity check and photograph

The full chain, one price, one person answerable for it.

Price this for Every airline is our airline
When the schedule will not do

Charter and relay

  • A second courier takes over where a visa or a duty limit stops the first
  • A private aircraft where the last airline departure has gone
  • Ground relay across a border when flying is the slower option
  • Priced case by case, in writing, before anything moves

For deadlines that a scheduled seat cannot reach.

Price this for Every airline is our airline

Every option is quoted as one all-in figure with a named flight. Nothing on this page is a rate card.

Ready when you are.

A firm quote within 15 minutes, 24/7. One courier, one price, a signature at the door.

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