Frequently Asked
Questions

A freight broker acts as the intermediary between cargo owners or freight forwarders and airlines or shipping operators. Instead of you having to contact multiple carriers, negotiate rates, and manage the logistics of each relationship — Hagens Logistics does all of that on your behalf.

We source the right aircraft or vessel capacity for your specific cargo, negotiate competitive rates from our established operator network, and manage the placement from enquiry through to confirmation. You deal with one trusted partner, not multiple carriers across different time zones and languages.

Hagens Logistics is headquartered in Durban, South Africa — the country's busiest cargo port and a key gateway for SADC trade. We serve the following markets:

• South Africa — Durban (DUR), Johannesburg (JNB), Cape Town (CPT)
• SADC — Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, Botswana, Namibia, Tanzania
• East Africa — Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda
• Central Africa — DRC, Congo-Brazzaville, Cameroon, Gabon
• Middle East — UAE (Dubai, Abu Dhabi), Saudi Arabia (Riyadh, Jeddah), Oman (Muscat)
• Europe — UK, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium
• Asia — China, India, Southeast Asia

Yes. Hagens Logistics (Pty) Ltd is a BEE certified company, registered in South Africa in 2024. We are SARS registered and operate with an FNB Business banking account. Our BEE certification is available on request for procurement purposes.

For standard ACMI wet lease and cargo charter placements, Hagens Logistics earns its commission from the operator — not from the cargo owner or lessee. This means our sourcing and placement services carry no direct cost to you as a client.

For complex advisory or multi-aircraft placement engagements, a success fee may apply. We are transparent about our fee structure before any engagement begins — there are no hidden charges.

The fastest way to get a quote is to contact us directly:

• Email: sales@hagens.co.za
• WhatsApp: +27 67 369 1750
• Contact form: hagens.co.za/contact

For air freight and charter quotes, please include: origin and destination, cargo description and weight, dimensions, preferred dates, and any special requirements (temperature control, hazardous goods, etc.).

We aim to respond to all enquiries within 4 business hours during South Africa business hours (08:00–17:00 SAST, Monday to Friday). For urgent cargo requirements, WhatsApp is the fastest channel — we monitor it actively and will prioritise time-sensitive requests.

ACMI stands for Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance. Under an ACMI arrangement, an operator (the lessor) provides a fully crewed and airworthy aircraft to an airline or cargo operator (the lessee) on a monthly lease basis.

The lessee operates the aircraft under their own Air Operator Certificate (AOC) and is responsible for fuel, ground handling, and all commercial operations. They control the schedule, route, and cargo — the ACMI operator simply provides the aircraft and crew.

It is the fastest and most cost-effective way to add aircraft capacity without purchasing or dry-leasing an aircraft outright.

• ACMI (Wet Lease): Aircraft + Crew + Maintenance + Insurance are all provided by the operator. The lessee does not need to recruit crew or arrange maintenance. Ideal for short-term capacity needs (3–12 months).
• Dry Lease: Aircraft only — no crew, no maintenance, no insurance. The lessee must provide all of these themselves. Better suited for longer-term arrangements where the lessee has its own crew and AOC infrastructure.

For most African airlines and cargo operators looking to add capacity quickly, ACMI is the recommended starting point. Read our full guide: ACMI vs Dry Lease for African Operations.

Hagens has operator relationships covering a broad range of aircraft types for both cargo and passenger ACMI:

• Cargo: Boeing 737-800F / 737-300SF (16–23T payload), Boeing 767F (52T), ATR72-500F (7.5T)
• Passenger: Boeing 737-800 (162–189 seats), Airbus A320-200 (150–180 seats), Embraer E190 (96–114 seats), ATR72-500 (68–70 seats)

Availability depends on the aircraft type, your required payload or seat capacity, route, and timeline. Contact us with your specific requirements and we will source matching options from our network.

Once we have confirmed requirements (aircraft type, payload, routes, hours, and start date), we typically present initial operator proposals within 5 to 7 business days. From operator selection to contract signature is usually a further 2–3 weeks, depending on due diligence requirements. Aircraft mobilisation then takes a further 4–8 weeks depending on the operator's current positioning.

For urgent requirements, we can expedite the sourcing process. Please contact us directly on WhatsApp for time-sensitive ACMI needs.

Ad-hoc cargo charter means chartering a dedicated aircraft for a single flight or short series of flights to move specific cargo — without a long-term lease arrangement. It is the right solution when:

• Your cargo is time-critical and cannot wait for a scheduled service
• Your consignment is too large for belly hold on scheduled flights
• Your cargo is temperature-sensitive and requires full cold chain control throughout the flight
• Scheduled routes through normal hubs are disrupted (such as the Middle East airspace closure)
• You need to move from an origin that has no direct scheduled freighter service (such as Durban)

Charter rates are higher per-kilo than scheduled belly hold — but for urgent, large, or specialised cargo the cost is almost always justified compared to delays, spoilage, or penalties.

Yes. Under an ACMI arrangement, the lessee operates the aircraft under their own Air Operator Certificate (AOC). This means you must hold a valid AOC from your national civil aviation authority before an ACMI aircraft can be placed with you.

If you do not yet hold an AOC, we can discuss alternative structures — including sub-ACMI arrangements or managed charter operations. Contact us to discuss your specific situation.

Hagens is an asset-light brokerage — we do not own aircraft, which is intentional. By remaining independent, we can source capacity from any operator in our network rather than being limited to our own fleet.

This means we can match your specific cargo requirement to the most suitable aircraft and operator available — whether that is a B737F freighter for your 20-tonne consignment or belly hold on a scheduled Lufthansa flight for your small pharmaceutical shipment to Frankfurt.

Yes — and Durban is our home base. King Shaka International Airport (DUR) does not have its own intercontinental scheduled freighter service, which is exactly why a broker like Hagens adds value for Durban-origin cargo.

We can arrange:

• Direct charter from King Shaka International to your destination — eliminating the need to road-truck to Johannesburg or Cape Town first
• Road feeder + onward air via OR Tambo (JNB) or Cape Town (CPT) on scheduled or charter services
• Sea-air combinations for cost-sensitive cargo that can use sea freight to a mid-point then air to final destination

South Africa's air cargo is heavily dependent on Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad for connections to Europe and Asia — all routing through Dubai, Doha, or Abu Dhabi. When Middle East airspace is disrupted, these lanes are significantly affected.

Hagens can arrange alternative routing via carriers that do not transit Middle East airspace — primarily Lufthansa via Frankfurt and KLM via Amsterdam — as well as direct charter options that bypass Middle East hubs entirely.

Read our full guide: Middle East Airspace Crisis: Rerouting Guide for South African Shippers.

Hagens handles a broad range of cargo types including:

• General cargo and industrial equipment
• Pharmaceutical and temperature-sensitive shipments (cold chain)
• Agricultural exports (avocados, macadamias, citrus, flowers)
• Automotive parts and machinery
• Minerals, mining equipment, and project cargo
• E-commerce and express cargo consolidations

Dangerous goods (DG) handling is subject to carrier approval and IATA DG regulations. Please declare all DG requirements at the time of enquiry.

Yes. Hagens specialises in pharmaceutical and temperature-sensitive air freight. We work with carriers that hold IATA CEIV Pharma certification on the relevant lane stations, and we route pharmaceutical cargo through certified cold chain handlers at origin, transit, and destination.

We ensure compliance with SAHPRA requirements, GDP (Good Distribution Practice) guidelines, and IATA temperature control requirements for +2°C to +8°C (chilled) and +15°C to +25°C (CRT) shipments.

Read our guide: IATA CEIV Pharma: What South African Pharmaceutical Shippers Need to Know.

IATA CEIV Pharma (Center of Excellence for Independent Validators in Pharmaceutical Logistics) is the global standard for pharmaceutical handling in air cargo. It certifies that airlines, ground handlers, and cargo agents at a specific station meet the highest standards for temperature control, handling procedures, and GDP compliance.

When Hagens routes your pharmaceutical shipment, we check that all handlers on your specific lane — not just the airline — hold CEIV Pharma or equivalent certification. This matters because temperature excursions most often occur at ground handling points, not in the air.

It depends on the carrier, the lane, and the handling procedures at each station. Some certified carriers can maintain cold chain integrity in belly hold using validated ULD containers (such as Envirotainer or DoKaSch units) — but this requires confirmed availability of temperature-controlled units and CEIV-certified handling at every transit point.

For high-value pharmaceutical cargo where cold chain failure cannot be risked, a dedicated charter with controlled cargo hold is the safest option. Hagens can advise on the right solution for your specific product, lane, and temperature requirement.

Hagens offers sea freight export and import services from Durban Port, including:

• FCL (Full Container Load) — 20', 40', and 40' High Cube containers to global destinations
• LCL (Less than Container Load) — consolidated cargo for smaller shipments sharing a container
• Export customs documentation and SARS clearance
• Inland collection from any South African origin
• Door-to-port and door-to-door options

For sea freight quotes, please provide: origin address, destination port/address, container size or cargo dimensions and weight, and preferred shipment date.

• FCL (Full Container Load): You book the entire container for your cargo. Best for large shipments (typically 10+ CBM or 5+ tonnes). Faster, more secure, and lower risk of damage since only your cargo is in the container.
• LCL (Less than Container Load): Your cargo shares a container with other shippers' goods. Better for smaller shipments where you don't have enough to fill a full container. More cost-effective per CBM but slightly longer transit due to consolidation and deconsolidation at each end.

Use our FCL vs LCL Cost Calculator to compare options for your specific shipment.

• COC (Carrier-Owned Container): The shipping line owns the container. The standard option for most shipments — the carrier provides the container as part of the freight rate. You must return it to the carrier's designated depot at destination.
• SOC (Shipper-Owned Container): The shipper owns or leases the container. More flexibility on return timing and storage, but the shipper bears the cost and responsibility for the container itself. Common for specialised equipment or regular high-volume shippers.

Most standard export shipments from Durban use COC containers. Hagens will advise on the appropriate option for your specific cargo and destination.

The minimum information we need to provide an accurate quote:

• Origin and destination (city/airport/port)
• Cargo description — what is it? (HS code if available)
• Weight and dimensions (gross weight + L × W × H per piece)
• Preferred shipment date or urgency
• Special requirements — temperature control, hazmat, oversized, or any other considerations
• Incoterms — who is responsible for freight costs and insurance?

The more detail you provide, the more accurate and competitive our quote will be.

Both. Hagens works with:

• Freight forwarders — as a capacity sourcing partner when you have cargo that needs ACMI, charter, or specialist routing solutions you cannot place through your normal channels
• Cargo owners and exporters — directly, especially for high-value, time-sensitive, or specialised cargo that benefits from a dedicated broker
• Airlines and operators — for ACMI placement and capacity partnerships

We are a complementary resource for forwarders, not a competitor. If you have a challenging cargo requirement, we can help find a solution.

Yes. For airlines and cargo operators with ongoing capacity needs, Hagens can be appointed as your exclusive ACMI and aircraft placement broker. Under an exclusivity arrangement, Hagens manages all operator sourcing, due diligence, and contract facilitation on your behalf — giving you a single point of contact for all aircraft capacity requirements.

Exclusivity arrangements are formalised through a Brokerage Services Agreement. Contact us to discuss terms.