Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Air Import Coordinator

🎯 Role Definition

The Air Import Coordinator is responsible for end-to-end management of inbound airfreight shipments, ensuring timely customs clearance, accurate documentation, and smooth warehouse handovers. This role coordinates with airlines, customs brokers, ground handlers, carriers and internal stakeholders to optimize service levels, control costs, and maintain full regulatory compliance (IATA, DGR, Incoterms, local customs laws). The ideal candidate has hands-on experience with airwaybills (AWB), import documentation, tariff classification, and TMS/EDI tools and consistently delivers proactive communication and operational problem-solving to customers and internal teams.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Freight Agent / Freight Forwarding Assistant
Customer Service Representative (Logistics/Import)
Warehouse or Operations Coordinator

Advancement To:

Senior Air Import Coordinator / Team Lead
Air Import Supervisor or Import Operations Manager
Customs Brokerage Manager or Global Logistics Manager

Lateral Moves:

Export Coordinator or Export Operations Specialist
Warehouse Operations Coordinator / Inventory Control Specialist
Sales Support / Account Manager for Freight Services

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Coordinate end-to-end air import shipments from arrival at origin to delivery at final consignee, ensuring each stage (airline booking, flight monitoring, arrival, customs clearance, and delivery) is executed on schedule and in compliance with customer instructions.
Prepare, validate and process airwaybills (AWB), commercial invoices, packing lists, certificates of origin, and any other required import documentation to prevent delays at arrival and customs.
Liaise directly with airlines, ground handlers, customs brokers, and house forwarders to arrange manifests, cargo releases, and warehousing, escalating exceptions proactively to minimize dwell time and demurrage.
Manage customs clearance activities by collaborating with customs brokers and internal compliance teams to ensure accurate HS code classification, tariff application, duties and taxes calculations, and timely submission of regulatory declarations.
Monitor incoming shipments in real time using TMS and carrier tracking systems; provide frequent, proactive status updates to customers and internal stakeholders, including ETA/ETD changes, offloads and customs holds.
Schedule and coordinate domestic pickup and final mile transportation with trucking providers and third-party logistics partners, optimizing routes and consolidations to reduce costs and transit time.
Execute release procedures for consignments—arranging delivery orders, handling warehouse releases, and notifying consignees while ensuring correct billing and documentation handover.
Audit and reconcile carrier invoices, origin and destination charges, and third-party costs; prepare shipment costings, internal chargebacks and customer invoices according to contractual rates and Incoterms.
Apply Incoterms correctly to determine responsibilities, costs and risk transfer points between shippers and consignees; advise customers on optimal terms for their shipments.
Ensure hazardous materials and dangerous goods (DGR) are handled in accordance with IATA DGR regulations; review DG declarations, proper labeling, packaging and emergency response documentation.
Maintain detailed shipment records and documentation in the company TMS (e.g., CargoWise, Magaya, SAP TM) and ensure EDI or portal-based document exchange is accurate and auditable.
Investigate and resolve shortages, damages, claims and loss incidents by coordinating with insurers, carriers, and internal claims teams, ensuring timely claim submissions and follow-up.
Negotiate and secure space, rates and special handling instructions with airlines and consolidators during peak seasons or capacity constraints to maintain service levels and competitive pricing.
Coordinate consolidation and deconsolidation processes for groupage shipments, preparing manifests and consolidation paperwork and ensuring correct house-master AWB relationships.
Track and enforce cut-off times for flight bookings, documentation deadlines and cargo acceptance windows; implement contingency plans for missed connections or irregular operations.
Support compliance-related audits and ensure adherence to corporate import policies, government regulations and customs security programs (e.g., C-TPAT, AEO).
Prepare and submit arrival notices, shipping instructions, and pre-alerts to consignees and partners to facilitate smooth warehouse and consignee preparation for receipt.
Participate in peak-season planning, capacity forecasting and network operational reviews to align resources, negotiate carrier capacity and mitigate potential disruptions.
Train and mentor junior import coordinators and cross-train colleagues in import procedures, systems, and customer communication best practices to maintain operational resilience.
Generate and maintain KPI and performance reporting for air import operations including on-time delivery, average dwell time, customs clearance lead time, and cost per shipment; use data to drive continuous improvement.
Implement and maintain quality control checks for documentation accuracy, regulatory compliance and system data integrity to reduce detention, penalties and delays.
Manage special projects such as hazardous shipments, temperature-controlled imports, pharmaceutical or high-value cargo handling and ensure SOPs are followed end-to-end.
Serve as the primary escalation point for high-impact import incidents, collaborating with operations, sales, legal and customer teams to coordinate resolution, root cause analysis and preventive actions.
Coordinate with customs and trade compliance teams on complex import cases such as FTA claims, bond filings, duty drawback and classification disputes.

Secondary Functions

Support commercial and sales teams with routing, costing and service-level proposals for prospective and existing customers, contributing to win strategies and contract negotiations.
Assist in implementation and testing of TMS upgrades, EDI mappings and process automation initiatives; act as subject-matter-expert and validation resource during deployments.
Participate in cross-functional continuous improvement initiatives (Lean, Six Sigma) to streamline import workflows, reduce processing times and cut operational costs.
Provide ad-hoc reporting and data extracts for management, finance and compliance teams; help interpret operational metrics to guide decision-making.
Support regional or global coordination for multi-leg imports and intermodal transfers, ensuring seamless handoffs between air, ocean and road modes when required.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Deep knowledge of airfreight operations and international air cargo procedures, including AWB issuance and consolidation/deconsolidation workflows.
Strong understanding of customs clearance processes, tariff (HS) classification and customs filing systems used in destination countries.
Proficiency with industry regulations and compliance standards: IATA DGR, Incoterms (2020), local customs regulations and security programs (C-TPAT / AEO).
Experience with Transportation Management Systems (TMS) and freight forwarding platforms such as CargoWise, Magaya, SAP TM or equivalent.
Experience using EDI, carrier portals and shipment tracking platforms; ability to troubleshoot transmission and mapping issues.
Advanced Microsoft Excel skills (pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, data validation) for reporting, cost analysis and reconciliations.
Knowledge of hazardous materials handling and documentation for air transport; ability to review Shipper’s Declarations for Dangerous Goods.
Familiarity with invoicing, billing reconciliation and basic accounting principles for freight cost allocation, demurrage and storage charges.
Ability to read, interpret and prepare commercial documents: airwaybills, commercial invoices, packing lists, certificates of origin and insurance documents.
Experience with claims management and insurance procedures for lost, damaged or delayed cargo.

Soft Skills

Excellent verbal and written communication skills to liaise with carriers, customs authorities, customers and internal stakeholders.
Strong customer service orientation with the ability to manage expectations and maintain positive client relationships under pressure.
Exceptional organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to prioritize high-volume workflows and meet firm cut-offs.
Problem-solving mindset and resilience to troubleshoot operational exceptions and implement contingency plans quickly.
High attention to detail to ensure accuracy of documentation, regulatory compliance and billing.
Team player who can collaborate across operations, commercial, customs and IT teams.
Negotiation skills to secure competitive rates and capacity with carriers and service partners.
Analytical thinking to interpret KPI trends, perform root cause analysis and recommend process improvements.
Adaptability in fast-paced, time-sensitive environments and during seasonal capacity volatility.
Leadership potential for mentoring junior staff and leading small cross-functional projects.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High school diploma or equivalent with relevant industry certifications or 2-year technical diploma in logistics/transportation.

Preferred Education:

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

Relevant Fields of Study:

Logistics and Supply Chain Management
International Trade and Customs
Business Administration / Operations Management
Transportation & Distribution

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

2–5 years of direct air import operations or freight forwarding experience.

Preferred:

3–5+ years in air import coordination with demonstrable experience handling customs clearance, AWB processing, and TMS usage; experience working with multinational carriers and complex regulatory environments is highly desirable.