Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Air Export Agent

🎯 Role Definition

The Air Export Agent is responsible for managing end-to-end air export operations, coordinating shipments, preparing export documentation, ensuring regulatory compliance (IATA, DGR, customs), and delivering exceptional customer service. Ideal candidates have air freight experience, strong attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple bookings and stakeholders while optimizing cost and transit times.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Logistics Coordinator / Freight Coordinator
Customer Service Representative (Freight Forwarding)
Shipping & Receiving Clerk

Advancement To:

Export Operations Supervisor
Air Freight Operations Manager
Key Account Manager / Sales Executive (Air Freight)

Lateral Moves:

Import Operations Specialist
Documentation Specialist / Compliance Analyst
Customs Brokerage Trainee

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Manage the full lifecycle of air export shipments from booking to departure, including space reservation with airlines, consolidation instructions, and tracking until handover to the carrier.
Prepare, verify and issue export documentation such as airwaybills (AWB/HAWB), commercial invoices, packing lists, certificates of origin, export declarations and any required special permits.
Ensure export compliance with IATA regulations, Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR), national export controls, sanctions screening and company export compliance policies for all air shipments.
Coordinate and confirm flight schedules, cut-off times, and cargo acceptance requirements with airlines and ground handling agents to minimize delays and detention charges.
Conduct rate and routing negotiations with airlines and consolidators to secure competitive space and pricing while maintaining service levels and margins.
Screen shipments for restricted commodities, embargoed destinations, sanctioned parties and hazardous materials, and escalate to compliance or management when required.
Create and manage cargo manifests, consolidation summaries and load plans, ensuring proper weight, dimensions and volume verification and correct ULD/containerization where applicable.
Communicate proactively with customers, internal sales and operations teams on booking confirmations, transit times, irregularities, delays and customs hold notifications.
Monitor real-time shipment status using carrier tracking systems, TMS/airline portals and EDI messages; initiate exception management workflows and remedial actions.
Prepare and submit export declarations and electronic filings to customs or freight systems (e.g., ACE, AES, CHIEF, ATS) and coordinate with customs brokers as needed.
Validate commodity codes (HS codes), duties, taxes and customs requirements for destination countries and advise customers on documentation and cost implications.
Manage cargo acceptance at origin including container/ULD staging, weight and balance reconciliation, and coordination with warehouse/ground handling to meet cut-off.
Review and process billing, invoicing and freight cost reconciliation, ensuring charges align with contractual rates, fuel surcharges, handling fees and additional services.
Handle booking amendments, cancellations and rerouting requests, coordinating with airlines and customers to minimize disruption and additional costs.
Oversee and validate special handling requests such as temperature-controlled cargo, live animals, perishables, oversize/ODC and high-value shipments.
Implement and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs) for air export operations, ensuring consistency, accuracy and regulatory adherence.
Train and mentor junior export staff on documentation best practices, airline rules, DGR handling and customer communication standards to improve team capability.
Investigate and resolve claims related to loss, damage or short-shipment, liaising with insurers, airlines and ground handlers to support claim documentation and recovery.
Maintain accurate shipment records, audit trails and KPIs (on-time departure, documentation accuracy, claims ratio) for weekly/monthly reporting and continuous improvement.
Coordinate cross-border pickup and delivery partners, arranging pre-carriage / on-carriage and multimodal connections where air freight integrates with road or courier networks.
Perform pre-carriage checks and advise customers about packing, labeling and palletization requirements to reduce rejections and avoid carrier fines.
Apply Incoterms correctly to quotes and export documentation, advising customers on responsibilities, costs and liabilities at each stage of transport.

Secondary Functions

Support internal and external audits by maintaining clear documentation, records and export compliance evidence.
Contribute to process improvement initiatives, automation of manual tasks (e.g., EDI mapping, AWB issuance), and optimization of carrier utilization.
Assist sales and account teams with technical quotes, transit advice and operational feasibility checks for complex export projects.
Participate in cross-functional projects such as carrier onboarding, system implementation (TMS/Booking portals) and compliance upgrades.
Provide training sessions and knowledge sharing for staff on IATA/DGR updates, export controls and new carrier procedures.
Prepare monthly operational performance reports and highlight trends, bottlenecks and cost-saving opportunities.
Liaise with third-party warehouse and ground handling providers to coordinate throughput, capacity allocation and warehouse release processes.
Maintain and update approved vendor and carrier lists, including service-level reviews and performance feedback.
Handle ad hoc customer requests for customs documentation retrieval, invoice re-issuance or proof-of-delivery for export shipments.
Support emergency response for disrupted flights, reroutes, and time-critical shipments including liaising with air carriers and priority handling teams.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Expert knowledge of air freight documentation: House and Master AWB, commercial invoice, packing list, export declarations and certificates of origin.
IATA and Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) compliance experience, including DG paperwork, labeling and segregation rules.
Familiarity with airline booking systems, GDS/Consolidator portals, and cargo management tools (e.g., CHAMP, Kale, WiseTech, CargoWise, MercuryGate).
Experience with customs filing systems and electronic export platforms (e.g., ACE, AES, ATLAS, CHIEF) and working with customs brokers.
Proficiency with Incoterms interpretation and applying terms to export quotes and documentation.
Rate negotiation and space management skills, including understanding of surcharges (fuel, security, war risk) and booking class rules.
Competence in cargo weight & balance, ULD/container planning and consolidation techniques for air shipments.
Strong MS Office skills, especially Excel for reporting, pivot tables, rate comparisons and shipment analysis.
Experience handling special commodities: perishables, live animals, pharma/temperature-controlled shipments and high-value cargo.
Knowledge of export controls, embargo screening and sanctions lists, and ability to perform compliance checks and escalate appropriately.
Familiarity with EDI messaging, track-and-trace systems, and integration of carrier status updates with internal TMS.
Basic accounting/billing knowledge to validate freight invoice accuracy, handle credit notes and support AR/AP processes.

Soft Skills

Excellent verbal and written communication skills for client-facing interactions and cross-functional coordination.
Meticulous attention to detail to ensure documentation accuracy and regulatory compliance.
Strong problem-solving and decision-making ability in fast-paced operational environments.
Customer service orientation with the ability to manage expectations, explain complex requirements and de-escalate issues.
Time management and prioritization skills to handle multiple bookings and tight airline cut-offs.
Team player mindset with ability to coach junior staff and collaborate across sales, warehouse and customs teams.
Adaptability and resilience to manage operational disruptions such as flight cancellations and capacity constraints.
Negotiation skills to secure favorable rates and operational terms from carriers and service providers.
Analytical mindset for shipment performance monitoring and continuous process improvement.
Integrity and discretion when handling sensitive customer and shipment data.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High school diploma or equivalent; vocational certificate in logistics or freight forwarding helpful.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor's degree in Logistics, Supply Chain Management, International Business or related field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Logistics and Supply Chain Management
International Trade / Global Business
Transportation and Distribution
Business Administration

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 1–5 years in air freight operations, export documentation or freight forwarding.

Preferred: 3+ years' hands-on experience as an Air Export Agent, Export Coordinator or similar role with demonstrable experience in AWB issuance, IATA/DGR compliance, airline booking and customs clearance processes. Prior experience using CargoWise/CHAMP/TMS and working directly with carriers and customs brokers is highly desirable.