Paper Pallet for Air Freight: When the Weight Saving Is Real

Published 26 October 2026 · By Ranjeet Kumar, Proprietor, Solution Enterprises

Short answer: air cargo is billed on the higher of actual weight and volumetric weight, which is length × width × height in centimetres divided by 6,000. A paper pallet weighs far less than a timber one, so it lowers the bill when your shipment is dense enough to be charged on actual weight. For bulky, light cargo the bill is set by volume, and a lower pallet height saves more than a lighter pallet. Either way, a paper pallet needs no ISPM 15 treatment or mark.

How the airline arrives at the chargeable weight

The carrier weighs the shipment and measures it. The measured volume in cubic centimetres, divided by 6,000, gives volumetric weight in kilograms. Whichever is larger is the chargeable weight. The 6,000 divisor is the IATA standard figure, but not every carrier uses it; some apply 5,000, which makes bulky cargo dearer. Confirm the divisor with your forwarder before you compare options.

One quick test follows from the formula. A cubic metre is 1,000,000 cm³, which divided by 6,000 is about 167 kg. If your shipment weighs more than roughly 167 kg per cubic metre, it is charged on actual weight and every kilogram of pallet counts. Below that, it is charged on volume, and pallet weight makes no difference to the bill.

Two worked examples

Both use a 1200 × 1000 mm footprint and a total height of 135 cm, pallet included. Volumetric weight is 120 × 100 × 135 ÷ 6,000 = 270 kg. For the pallets we use 25 kg for timber and 7 kg for paper, which sit inside the typical ranges published for each (roughly 20–30 kg and 4–8 kg). They are illustrations, not the weight of any particular product.

Item	Dense load	Bulky load
Goods	400 kg	150 kg
Volume weight	270 kg	270 kg
Actual, timber	425 kg	175 kg
Actual, paper	407 kg	157 kg
Charged, timber	425 kg	270 kg
Charged, paper	407 kg	270 kg

On the dense load, switching pallets removes 18 chargeable kilograms from every shipment. On the bulky load it removes nothing, because the bill was never based on weight. For that second shipment, look at height instead: a pallet 10 cm lower brings the volume weight down to 120 × 100 × 125 ÷ 6,000 = 250 kg, a saving of 20 kg on each booking. A low-profile paper pallet can help with both.

How your pallet meets the aircraft

Your pallet does not go into the hold on its own. The handling agent builds shipments onto airline unit load devices. A common flat pallet type, the PMC, has a base of 317.5 × 243.8 cm. Contour height depends on where it travels: a lower-deck build is limited to about 162.6 cm, while main-deck builds on freighters can go to 243.8 cm or 299.7 cm.

• Height. If your cargo may fly in the belly of a passenger aircraft, keep the total unit height, pallet included, under the lower-deck limit with room to spare.
• Footprint. On footprint alone, six 1200 × 1000 mm pallets fit inside a PMC base, with very little margin. The build-up team also needs room for nets and contour, so let your forwarder plan the build.
• Forklift handling. Cargo terminals move pallets on forks several times between your dock and the aircraft. The pallet’s dynamic rating, not its static one, is what matters here. Our explainer on paper pallet load capacity sets out the difference.
• Weather on the apron. Pallets can wait outside before loading. Full stretch wrap anchored to the pallet, and a top sheet, keep rain off the paper.

No ISPM 15, and why

ISPM 15 covers wood packaging material made from raw wood. The FAO guide to the standard defines wood packaging material as wood or wood products, excluding paper products, used to support, protect or carry a commodity. A pallet made of paper therefore needs no heat treatment, no fumigation and no IPPC mark. That removes a document check at destination and the risk of a missing or unreadable stamp. Destination authorities can still inspect any consignment, so other import rules apply as usual. Our guide to ISPM 15 for Indian exporters covers the timber side.

Before you book: a short checklist

1. Work out density: gross weight ÷ volume in m³. Above about 167 kg/m³ (at the 6,000 divisor), pallet weight matters.
2. Ask your forwarder which divisor the carrier uses and how it rounds.
3. Set a height limit for the unit, pallet included, that suits the likely aircraft.
4. Specify the pallet for forklift handling at the terminal, with four-way entry if the agent needs it.
5. Wrap and cap the unit against rain.
6. Mark the gross weight and dimensions on the unit so the terminal does not need to re-measure.

Air freight is common for high-value goods such as pharmaceuticals and electronics, where a clean, nail-free pallet is also welcome. We make paper pallets to your footprint and height. Send the goods weight, dimensions and route through the quote form and we will propose a pallet for the case you actually ship.

Common questions

Will airlines accept a paper pallet?

Shipper pallets of many materials are built onto airline ULDs every day. Acceptance rules belong to the airline and handling agent, so confirm with your forwarder before the first booking.

Does a lighter pallet help on sea freight too?

A full container is priced per box, so pallet weight rarely changes the rate. It matters only when a heavy cargo reaches the container’s payload limit. On sea freight the ISPM 15 exemption is usually the bigger benefit.

What if my shipment is close to 167 kg per cubic metre?

Then both weight and height matter. Small changes to either can move the shipment from one side of the line to the other, so run both numbers before you choose a pallet.

Sources

• Maersk, Air cargo chargeable weight calculation explained (10 March 2025).
• AirBridgeCargo, Unit Load Devices guide (PMC base, tare and contour heights).
• IPPC Secretariat, ISPM 15 Regulation of wood packaging material in international trade (adopted 2018; published 2019), Scope.
• FAO/IPPC, Guide to the regulation of wood packaging material (April 2023), glossary.
• PALLITE Group, What are cardboard pallets? (typical pallet weights).

Last verified: 26 October 2026. General information only. Carrier divisors, rounding and ULD limits vary by airline and aircraft — confirm with your forwarder before booking.