Air cargo in Russia: guides

Short guides for shippers and partners outside Russia: how air cargo works here, what to prepare and what the Russian terms mean. Written by CargoBooking, an air freight forwarder at Sheremetyevo, Moscow. About CargoBooking. Write to us in English or Russian: info@cargobooking.ru.

• Air cargo in Russia: how it works for foreign shippers

  A short guide to air cargo in Russia: the Sheremetyevo hub and the Aeroflot network, the Moscow Cargo terminal, documents, tracking by air waybill, imports from China, shipments to Kazakhstan and the EAEU, and airport limits for dangerous goods and heavy pieces.

• Air freight from China to Russia door to door: steps, documents, customs

  Door-to-door air freight from China to Russia: a forwarder arranges the flight, a customs representative clears the goods, and the arrival terminal (for example Moscow Cargo at Sheremetyevo) releases them. Steps, documents, legal time limits, product marking and lithium batteries.

• Dangerous goods by air from Moscow: which airports accept them

  Dangerous goods from Sheremetyevo are accepted by 47 of 55 Russian airports and 30 of 32 foreign airports in our network, per Aeroflot's table of July 30, 2026. For each city it shows the status, whether advance approval is needed, and which of the 9 IATA DGR classes the warehouse can store.

• Documents for domestic air cargo in Russia: for the shipper and the consignee

  To send cargo by air within Russia, a private person needs a passport and the consignee's details: full name, passport and phone. A company needs the details of both companies and a power of attorney for whoever delivers the cargo. The consignee collects the cargo with a passport.

• ETRN, EPE or nothing: electronic documents when importing cargo from China to Russia

  When cargo comes from China to Russia, the international leg under a CMR note needs no Russian electronic consignment note. It is needed on the Russian leg: when cargo leaves the temporary storage warehouse and moves within Russia between Russian parties. An instruction to a forwarder is an EPE, not an ETRN.

• Heavy pieces by air: how many kg each airport accepts without approval

  The weight limit per piece without approval differs by airport: from 30 kg in Shanghai and 50 kg in Saransk to 250 kg in Irkutsk and Almaty. Aeroflot's tables of August 7, 2026 (Russia) and August 3, 2026 (abroad) show this limit, the limit with approval, the hard limit and A320 loading type.

• How to drop off cargo at Sheremetyevo: Moscow Cargo terminal, pass, documents, times

  Cargo for Aeroflot flights from Sheremetyevo is accepted by the Moscow Cargo terminal in Khimki, open 24/7. You need a pass, an air waybill and a cargo acceptance form, plus a power of attorney if a representative delivers. Acceptance of general cargo closes 6 hours before departure.

• How to track air cargo in Russia by air waybill number

  An air waybill number has 11 digits, and the first three show the airline: 555 is Aeroflot. In Moscow, Moscow Cargo, the cargo terminal at Sheremetyevo, shows the status for free and without sign-up. Where to enter the number for Russian and foreign airlines and what each status means.

• Russian airport codes: an IATA code cheat sheet for shipping cargo

  An IATA airport code is three Latin letters: SVO for Sheremetyevo, LED for Pulkovo, KUF for Samara. The code goes on the air waybill and the cargo labels and routes the cargo to its flight. Here are the codes of 56 Russian regional airports we ship to from Moscow.

• SNT waybill: when you need it for air cargo to Kazakhstan and the EAEU

  SNT is Kazakhstan's electronic accompanying waybill for goods. Since January 1, 2026, it is required for all goods brought into Kazakhstan from EAEU countries. On import, the consignee in Kazakhstan issues it before the cargo crosses the border. The shipper in Russia does not.