Woodland Group moves air freight into Europe through a network of key gateways, with established transatlantic services into Cologne, Frankfurt, Berlin and Amsterdam, and China services into Dublin, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Paris, Frankfurt and Hamburg. For cargo moving from New York and New Jersey into Germany, Cologne is our primary gateway, handling the majority of our German volume. Amsterdam also provides access to our AEO-certified bonded warehouse operation in Rotterdam, while alternative gateways including Liège, Leipzig and Madrid can be used where they offer the right routing for the shipment.

Our European air freight volumes are concentrated across key markets including Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, France, Poland and Sweden. Germany is our largest European market, with transatlantic services routing through Cologne, Frankfurt and Berlin, and China services through Frankfurt and Hamburg. In the Netherlands, air freight moves in both directions through Amsterdam, supported by bonded storage and fiscal representation at our Rotterdam facility. Sweden and the wider Nordic region are supported by our own in-house team. We also serve destinations across the wider European network, with these key markets representing our strongest volumes and established capacity.

Cologne is an established gateway for Woodland Group's transatlantic air freight services into Germany, particularly for shipments originating from New York and New Jersey.

Our routing decisions are based on available airline capacity, transit times, cargo handling requirements and onward delivery arrangements. Frankfurt and Berlin also form part of our European air freight network, allowing us to select the most suitable gateway for each shipment.

This flexibility helps us coordinate air freight movements into Germany according to the requirements of individual customers, rather than relying on a single airport.

Frankfurt was Europe's busiest cargo airport in 2025, handling 1.99 million tonnes, up 2.0% on the year. Paris Charles de Gaulle was close behind at 1.92 million tonnes and Amsterdam Schiphol handled 1.43 million. The fastest growing were the freighter and e-commerce hubs rather than the passenger hubs: Liege rose 13.9% and Madrid 9.6%, against overall European cargo growth of 3.2%.

Figures are from Airports Council International Europe for the full year 2025.

Air freight transit times across Europe depend on the route and service level selected. We offer direct services with daily departures on core European lanes, alongside deferred options where a longer transit time can provide a more cost-effective solution. A direct transatlantic service can move cargo airport to airport overnight, while indirect or deferred routings on the same lane will take longer. We provide a realistic transit time based on the specific origin, destination and service selected at the point of booking.

Our European air freight volumes span a broad range of industries and cargo types. Some of the largest by weight currently include vinyl records and entertainment products, books and printed matter, machinery and mechanical appliances, and chemicals. We also regularly handle plastics and rubber, metals, textiles and apparel, precision instruments, food and agricultural products, consumer goods, furniture, electronics and many other commodities. While our experience extends well beyond these sectors, the volumes in vinyl and print reflect particular areas of expertise developed over many years.

The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) and Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) introduce compliance requirements for businesses importing certain goods into the European Union.

EUDR covers specified commodities and derived products, including cattle, cocoa, coffee, oil palm, rubber, soya and wood. Businesses trading goods within its scope must prepare for applicable due diligence, traceability and reporting requirements.

CBAM applies to certain carbon-intensive imports, including iron and steel, aluminium, cement, fertilisers, hydrogen and electricity. It introduces obligations relating to embedded emissions, reporting and carbon-related costs.

Although these regulations apply to the goods rather than the transport method, they can affect air freight shipments entering the EU. Businesses should establish whether their products are covered and understand the applicable documentation and compliance requirements before shipping.

Fiscal representation requirements vary depending on the EU country of import, where your business is established and the VAT arrangements involved. Businesses established outside the EU may need to appoint a fiscal representative to meet local VAT obligations, but this is not a universal requirement across every member state.

Woodland Group provides fiscal representation through our Rotterdam operation in the Netherlands, helping eligible businesses based in the UK, USA, Asia and other non-EU markets manage imports, VAT requirements and onward distribution within Europe.

Our customs team can help assess the relevant requirements and identify suitable arrangements for your shipments.

A bonded warehouse allows businesses to bring goods into the EU while deferring duty and import VAT until stock is released, supporting more efficient inventory and cash-flow management. It can be particularly valuable for businesses holding significant European inventory, managing demand across multiple markets or re-exporting goods outside the EU.

Woodland Group's AEO-certified bonded operation in Rotterdam supports air freight from arrival and clearance through to bonded storage and phased release, providing the flexibility to manage European inventory around your wider supply chain requirements.

Moving air freight between the UK and EU involves customs formalities on both sides of the border. This typically means an export declaration in the country of departure and an import declaration at destination, supported by the correct commodity codes, customs valuation, origin information and VAT treatment. Depending on the goods and movement, businesses may also need to consider preferential origin, licences or other product-specific requirements.

The speed of air freight makes it particularly important to have this information correct before the shipment moves. A short transit time leaves less opportunity to resolve missing documentation or classification issues before the goods arrive, potentially delaying customs clearance and onward delivery.

Woodland Group manages UK and EU customs requirements in-house, allowing the freight movement and customs process to be coordinated together. Our teams can support export and import declarations, classification, valuation and origin requirements, helping ensure the necessary information is in place before cargo reaches the border.

For many movements within Europe, air freight is not automatically the fastest or most cost-effective option once the complete door-to-door journey is considered. Road freight can offer competitive transit times on shorter routes, particularly between the UK and mainland Europe, without the additional airport handling involved at origin and destination. Rail can also provide an alternative on selected European routes.

Air freight becomes particularly valuable where distance makes road transit impractical, where delivery deadlines are fixed, or where high-value, fragile or time-sensitive cargo requires a faster service. Capacity, shipment size, origin and destination, handling requirements and cost will all influence the right choice.

Because Woodland Group operates road and rail services across Europe alongside air freight, we can compare the available options and recommend the routing and mode that best fits the shipment rather than defaulting to air.

Yes. Woodland Group supports the movement of eligible dangerous goods by air across European routes, including lithium batteries, aerosols, paints and chemicals, subject to applicable regulations and airline acceptance.

Our IATA DGR-trained teams can assist with classification, packaging requirements, documentation, labelling and suitable routing options. Acceptance depends on the nature of the goods, their classification and the available airline services.

Provide the relevant Safety Data Sheet (SDS) and shipment details, and our team can assess the requirements and advise on suitable transport options.

Send us the origin, destination, gross weight and dimensions, commodity and required delivery date, and we can provide a suitable routing, rate and realistic transit time. Where appropriate, we can also compare direct and indirect services, helping you balance transit time against cost rather than simply defaulting to the fastest option.

For UK–EU movements, providing the relevant commodity codes and customs information at the outset helps us assess the complete movement, including export and import requirements, VAT treatment and any additional compliance considerations. Our air freight and customs teams can then build the routing and clearance requirements around the shipment from the start.