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On-Board Courier · Hand-carry · Time-critical

When every minute matters.

Time-critical On-Board Courier solutions for urgent consignments across the UK, Europe and worldwide.

A dedicated courier personally accompanies your shipment on a commercial flight, from collection to final delivery.

Request urgent quoteContact operations
  • 24/7 operationsOperations staffed around the clock.
  • Global reachRoutes assessed across the UK, Europe and worldwide.
  • Hand-carriedA dedicated courier accompanies the consignment.
  • Door-to-doorCollection, flight and delivery as one movement.

Local time · major hubs

  • LHR--:--
  • FRA--:--
  • JED--:--
  • HKG--:--
  • ATL--:--

One courier. One chain of custody.

  1. 01CollectionFrom your premises or an agreed handover point.
  2. 02AirportCheck-in and security screening with the courier.
  3. 03Accompanied flightThe consignment travels with its courier.
  4. 04Customs & arrivalArrival formalities completed as required.
  5. 05Final deliveryHanded over at the destination.

What is an On-Board Courier?

Your shipment travels with a courier, not through a network.

An On-Board Courier personally accompanies an urgent consignment aboard a scheduled commercial flight. Instead of moving through a traditional multi-stage freight network, the consignment remains under personal supervision for as much of the journey as operationally possible.

Compact items can often travel in the cabin with the courier. Where a piece must travel as checked baggage, the courier flies on the same aircraft, reclaims it on arrival and continues to the final destination.

More about On-Board Courier
Conventional air freightSeveral handovers · cargo cut-offs
  1. Shipper
  2. Forwarder
  3. Warehouse
  4. Cargo terminal
  5. Flight
  6. Cargo terminal
  7. Customs
  8. Delivery agent
  9. Recipient
On-Board CourierOne courier · personal custody
  1. Collection
  2. Courier on board
  3. Arrival
  4. Delivery
Illustrative comparison. Actual handling depends on the route, the airline and arrival requirements.

How it works

From request to delivered.

Six stages, one accountable team. Select a stage to see what happens and what we need from you.
The full process
Manager at his desk on the phone, arranging an urgent shipment

Stage 01 of 06 · Request received

Urgent request received

Send the part, route and deadline by quote form, email or phone.

Atlas
Acknowledge the request, check the details and start routing straight away.
From you
Collection and delivery locations, the required deadline, a description of the part, pieces, weight and dimensions.

AOG & aerospace

AOG doesn’t wait.

When an aircraft requires a critical component, delivery speed can directly affect downtime. Atlas can assess OBC routing for urgent aircraft components and aviation-related consignments, from the supplier’s door to the aircraft’s location.

Request AOG quoteAOG & aerospace

No delivery time is guaranteed until routing, airline acceptance and arrival requirements are confirmed.

For the fastest AOG assessment, include

  1. 01Part number and description
  2. 02Quantity, weights and dimensions
  3. 03Release paperwork available (e.g. EASA Form 1 / FAA 8130-3)
  4. 04Aircraft location and nearest airport
  5. 05Required-by time, in local time
  6. 06Any dangerous goods classification

Global network

Global reach.
One point of contact.

Atlas plans On-Board Courier movements across an international network of major aviation hubs. Every route is assessed individually around the collection time, destination, flight availability and shipment requirements.

Operations baseNear East Midlands Airport (EMA), UK. Our couriers are based around the world, so a mission can start wherever the shipment is.

Illustrative network of major aviation hubs. Hubs shown are not Atlas offices or scheduled services.

Why Atlas?

Speed. Control. Communication.

What you can expect on every movement, whatever the route.

Journey updates

Informed at every milestone.

You deal directly with the team running your movement. Updates are shared at agreed milestones by email, telephone or messaging, so you can keep your own customer, production team or engineers informed.

  1. 01Collected
  2. 02Checked in
  3. 03Departed
  4. 04Landed
  5. 05Cleared
  6. 06Delivered

Example milestones. Update points are agreed for each movement.

  • Personal custody

    A dedicated courier accompanies the shipment.

    Your consignment stays with one courier for as much of the journey as operationally possible, rather than passing between handlers.

  • Global routing

    International routes assessed around the shipment deadline.

    Flights, connections and arrival procedures are assessed against your deadline, across the UK, Europe and worldwide.

  • Time-critical focus

    The service is built around urgent requirements.

    Atlas exists for shipments where conventional logistics may not meet the deadline. Urgency is the brief, not an add-on.

  • Bespoke solutions

    Each movement is assessed individually.

    Routing, timing, handover and paperwork are planned for the specific consignment. Nothing is forced into a template.

FAQ

Questions, answered plainly.

Straight answers on timing, cost, what can travel and how a movement runs.
All questions

Urgent consignment?

Tell us what needs to move, and by when.

Send the route, deadline and shipment details. Atlas Operations will assess routing and come back to you with options and a clear quotation.

Request urgent quoteCall +44 (0) 116 456 7672Email operations

Submitting a request does not constitute confirmation of transportation. Availability, routing, airline acceptance, security, customs and regulatory requirements may apply.

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