Kenya Airways cargo booking should match the service to your goods and deadline. KQ Cargo publishes general freight, express and specialist products, alongside charter and handling services. Request acceptance and a current quote for the actual consignment rather than applying a passenger baggage price.
The official KQ Cargo website provides shipment tracking, schedule information and a request route. Its cargo division describes both dedicated freighter operations and freight carried on passenger aircraft. Ask which movement is proposed for your load and whether any connecting or trucked leg is included.
KQ Express or another cargo product?
KQ Express is an airport-to-airport priority product for urgent goods. Its published conditions exclude valuables, dangerous goods, live animals, human remains, perishables and vulnerable cargo. Those loads need assessment under another suitable product rather than an express booking.
The express page also sets conditions for piece weights and acceptance timing. Confirm the current station-specific instructions and eligibility with the cargo sales team. Do not treat a late acceptance feature as permission to arrive at any airport just before departure.
Prepare a complete shipment brief
- Origin and destination, shipping date and delivery deadline.
- Contents, package count, gross weights and dimensions.
- Any batteries, liquids, chemicals, perishables or fragile items.
- Sender, receiver and destination collection contacts.
- Required airport handling, customs assistance or road delivery.
How to request Kenya Airways cargo rates
Provide individual package dimensions as well as total weight. Ask for the quote’s chargeable weight, minimum charge and included screening, documentation and terminal handling. State whether collection at origin or delivery after arrival is needed.
Compare prices for the same load, routing and delivery endpoint. A priority airport service, a standard consolidation and a charter quote cover different arrangements. Ask about payment currency, quote validity and what happens if the shipment measurements or departure date change.
Special cargo and acceptance
The KQ product directory includes pharmaceutical, fresh, live-animal and secure cargo options. Describe temperature, security or handling requirements in the first enquiry. A product name does not settle which station or aircraft can accept the particular consignment.
For fragile equipment, provide photographs and packing details. Declare batteries, liquids and other restricted contents so the cargo team can assess them before the goods reach the receiving facility. Confirm the required documents and labels with the responsible origin team.
Airport handover and tracking
Obtain the receiving location, handover deadline and booking reference before arranging collection from your supplier. The passenger terminal is not automatically the freight acceptance point. For several pieces, retain a packing list and make sure the recorded count matches the goods handed over.
Use KQ’s official cargo tracking tool with the shipment reference. Ask which contact can explain a delayed update, changed connection or part-shipment. A tracking event should be read alongside the booking and release instructions rather than treated as a home-delivery promise.
Customs, collection and final delivery
Agree who acts as importer, manages clearance and pays destination charges. Tell the receiver which cargo facility releases the goods and what identification or authorisation is required. If delivery to a warehouse is needed, arrange transport around release and receiving hours.
Kenya Airways cargo questions
Does KQ Express deliver to my address?
The published product is airport-to-airport. Arrange onward delivery unless the quotation expressly includes it.
Can perishables use the express product?
The express page excludes them. Ask about the appropriate specialist product.
Can I reserve cargo with a passenger ticket?
No. Obtain a freight booking and acceptance for the consignment.
Turn your enquiry into a workable shipping plan
An urgent replacement part and a shipment of fresh produce need different product assessments even when their deadlines are equally tight. For the part, describe the contents and ask whether express eligibility and the station cutoff can be met. For produce, explain the packing and temperature conditions and request the suitable specialist service. In either case, include customs release and the recipient’s collection in the delivery plan. Priority on the flight does not remove work needed before loading or after arrival.
Compare the complete quotation
Ask for the total payable for the same shipment and delivery endpoint. A lower flight charge can leave screening, storage, handling and road transport to be paid separately. Check the quotation’s expiry date, payment currency and what happens if the flight changes. Identify who will notify the receiver when the cargo is ready and who pays for a delay in collection. Keep written acceptance with the booking reference before releasing the goods.
Our Ethiopian Airlines cargo booking guide provides another international freight comparison, with product and routing acceptance confirmed independently.
How Travo can assist
For a consignment travelling into or out of Nigeria, Travo’s international shipping service offers freight coordination, supplier collection and consolidation, customs support through licensed clearing partners and onward delivery. If imported stock needs holding before distribution, ask about warehouse storage and fulfilment. Request the scope for your actual origin and destination, including any overseas partner arrangements and local delivery charges.
Request a shipment plan from Travo with your collection and delivery addresses, goods description, dimensions, weight and deadline. Ask which services are included, which need separate approval and what the delivery estimate depends on. This lets you coordinate the ground journey with the airline’s confirmed acceptance.
