Walk me through your career and commercial / charter background in air cargo.

What it tests: Story arc, forwarding / charter broker / freighter operator / integrator / ground-handler path, freighter type exposure, ad-hoc + ACMI + block-space rhythm, regulatory + customer-handling reflexes.

Tell me about a charter, ACMI deal, or commercial mission you've handled.

What it tests: Commercial rigor, pricing + payload-range build + ferry / positioning leg + regulatory + ground-handling + customer outcome.

Why air cargo chartering vs scheduled belly cargo / forwarding sales / ocean / road freight?

What it tests: Authentic alignment, ad-hoc commercial rhythm, payload-range + ferry economics, regulatory + ground-handling discipline, customer-relationship rhythm. Generic 'I love aviation' fails.

Why this segment, ad-hoc / ACMI / block-space / integrator overflow / humanitarian / heavy-lift?

What it tests: Specificity. Ad-hoc broker desks must articulate RFQ-to-fix cycle + back-to-back fixing economics; ACMI commercial desks must articulate guaranteed block hours + minimum guarantees; integrator overflow desks must articulate network gap-filling; humanitarian / heavy-lift must articulate outsize cargo build + overflight clearances.

What it tests: Real homework, fleet + segment + commercial model + customer base + regulatory posture, not name-drop.

What's your read on our fleet, commercial model, and recent charter activity?

What it tests: Industry literacy, freighter mix, ad-hoc vs ACMI vs block-space split, customer + broker panel, recent missions, segment momentum.

Where do you see this firm's key segment heading over the next 6-12 months?

What it tests: Market judgement + reading of supply (freighter capacity, conversions, retirements, belly capacity recovery), demand (e-commerce, semicon, pharma, perishables, automotive, peak season), and regulatory friction (Russian overflight ban, CORSIA / EU ETS Aviation, China-US bilaterals, Red Sea routing).

Walk me through a charter quote you've built, from RFQ to fix.

What it tests: Pricing fluency, block hours + ferry + fuel + handling + permits + crew + commission stack, aircraft fit-for-purpose check, payload-range mission build, customer credit + payment terms, broker dynamics.

Commercial Chartering interview prep.

Sales execs, brokers, ACMI / wet-lease account managers, freighter operator commercial desks, integrator overflow desks, ad-hoc + long-term + humanitarian + outsize + AOG spares specialists.

What interviewers look for

Can the candidate price an ad-hoc charter, block hours + ferry + fuel + handling + permits + crew + commission stack, cold?
Do they understand payload-range trade-offs. MTOW vs MZFW vs tank capacity, tech-stop economics, headwind tankering?
Are they fluent in freighter types + ULD build, what fits a 747F nose-loader vs 777F vs 737-800BCF?
Can they navigate regulatory choke points. DG IATA DGR, CEIV Pharma, customs / AOG urgency, overflight + landing-rights, sanctions?
Do they understand the broker / operator / shipper relationship rhythm, leading broker dynamics, RFQ-to-fix cadence?
Are they aware of ACMI economics + block-space agreement structures, guaranteed block hours, minimum guarantees, off-block disputes?
Long-game fit, sales / chartering manager / commercial director / ACMI account head / broker desk trajectory?

Behavioural questions to expect

Walk me through your career and commercial / charter background in air cargo.
What it tests: Story arc, forwarding / charter broker / freighter operator / integrator / ground-handler path, freighter type exposure, ad-hoc + ACMI + block-space rhythm, regulatory + customer-handling reflexes.
Tell me about a charter, ACMI deal, or commercial mission you've handled.
What it tests: Commercial rigor, pricing + payload-range build + ferry / positioning leg + regulatory + ground-handling + customer outcome.
Why air cargo chartering vs scheduled belly cargo / forwarding sales / ocean / road freight?
What it tests: Authentic alignment, ad-hoc commercial rhythm, payload-range + ferry economics, regulatory + ground-handling discipline, customer-relationship rhythm. Generic 'I love aviation' fails.
Why this segment, ad-hoc / ACMI / block-space / integrator overflow / humanitarian / heavy-lift?
What it tests: Specificity. Ad-hoc broker desks must articulate RFQ-to-fix cycle + back-to-back fixing economics; ACMI commercial desks must articulate guaranteed block hours + minimum guarantees; integrator overflow desks must articulate network gap-filling; humanitarian / heavy-lift must articulate outsize cargo build + overflight clearances.
Why this firm?
What it tests: Real homework, fleet + segment + commercial model + customer base + regulatory posture, not name-drop.
What's your read on our fleet, commercial model, and recent charter activity?
What it tests: Industry literacy, freighter mix, ad-hoc vs ACMI vs block-space split, customer + broker panel, recent missions, segment momentum.
Where do you see this firm's key segment heading over the next 6-12 months?
What it tests: Market judgement + reading of supply (freighter capacity, conversions, retirements, belly capacity recovery), demand (e-commerce, semicon, pharma, perishables, automotive, peak season), and regulatory friction (Russian overflight ban, CORSIA / EU ETS Aviation, China-US bilaterals, Red Sea routing).
Walk me through a charter quote you've built, from RFQ to fix.
What it tests: Pricing fluency, block hours + ferry + fuel + handling + permits + crew + commission stack, aircraft fit-for-purpose check, payload-range mission build, customer credit + payment terms, broker dynamics.

Technical concepts to master

Pricing + cost stack

Block-hour rate: Per-block-hour cost (chocks-off to chocks-on); standard quoting unit for ad-hoc + ACMI work.
Ferry-leg + positioning cost: Empty repositioning flights from previous mission / base to load station, charged to customer unless absorbed in marketing.
Fuel uplift + tankering: Buy fuel at cheapest station along route; tanker extra fuel from low-price port if MTOW + payload allow.
Permits + slots + handling stack: Overflight + landing permits (state-level, hours-to-days lead), slot at coordinated airports (IATA Level 3), ground-handling appointment + ULD build + ramp + cargo terminal.

Payload-range + ferry-leg + fuel-uplift mission build

MTOW + MZFW + MLW: Maximum Take-Off Weight, Maximum Zero-Fuel Weight (structural cargo limit), Maximum Landing Weight, three structural caps that bound payload + fuel.
Payload-range curve: Aircraft published chart showing payload vs range, structural payload limit at short range, fuel-limited tradeoff at longer range, max range with minimum payload.
Tech-stop economics: Mid-route fuel + crew change stop (ANC / KEF / IST / DXB / HKG / NRT common), adds time + landing + handling but enables full payload.
Headwind / tailwind tankering: Adjust fuel uplift for forecast winds, strong headwinds need more fuel (reduce payload); tailwinds free up payload.

DG + pharma + ground-handling regulatory spine

IATA DGR + NOTOC: Dangerous Goods Regulations classify hazards by identification number + packing group; NOTOC (Notification to Captain) records DG on board.
CEIV Pharma + active vs passive cool chain: IATA CEIV Pharma certifies operators + handlers + airports against pharma temp + handling standards; active containers (powered) maintain temp via cooling; passive use phase-change materials + insulation.
ULD build + types: Unit Load Devices, pallets + containers that interface with cargo loading systems; standardised IATA types.
Customs + security (ACC3 / CCSF / RA3): EU ACC3 = Air Cargo Carrier operating into Union from 3rd country (security-validated); US TSA CCSF / Indirect Air Carrier; RA3 = 3rd-country Regulated Agent.

ACMI + wet-lease + block-space + ad-hoc structures

ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, Insurance): Lessor provides aircraft + crew + maintenance + insurance; lessee pays per block hour + provides fuel + landing + handling + commercial control.
Wet lease vs damp vs dry: Wet = ACMI (full); damp = ACMI without cabin crew (cargo-relevant: pilots only); dry = aircraft only, lessee provides crew + maintenance + insurance + operates on own AOC.
Block-space agreement (BSA): Forwarder commits to buy specified capacity (tons / cubic / ULDs per flight) on scheduled freighter or belly service; pays whether used or not.
Ad-hoc charter + back-to-back fixing: One-off charter from RFQ to fix; broker desks fix back-to-back (sell to customer at higher rate than buy from operator) to capture spread.

Practical drills

You are quoting a one-way ad-hoc charter for 95 tons of project cargo, Chicago (ORD) to Frankfurt (FRA), on a B747-400F. The freighter is currently positioned at Atlanta (ATL); ferry to ORD ~1.5 block hours. Mission: ATL-ORD ferry 1.5 BH, ORD-FRA 9.0 BH. Block-hour rate (Aircraft + Crew + MX + Insurance) $18,000/BH. Fuel uplift: ATL 5 t @ $850/t; ORD 110 t @ $920/t; landing + parking + handling ORD $25,000, FRA $45,000. Overflight + landing permits $8,000. Crew positioning + per diem $6,000. Broker commission 5%. Walk through the cost stack, suggest a margin, and propose a quote.
You run a commercial desk with two B777Fs available for the Q4 peak season (Sep-Jan). A major forwarder offers a 5-month ACMI contract: $15,500/BH, minimum 350 BH/month, transpacific routing. Spot ad-hoc rates currently $20,000-$24,000/BH on similar routes but volatile. Walk through how you decide between locking the ACMI vs running ad-hoc, what main terms + riders you'd push, and how you'd structure the deal.
You are planning a 100-ton charter, Hong Kong (HKG) to Liege (LGG), on a B777F. Direct great-circle distance ~5,200 nm. With Russian airspace closed to your AOC, available routings: (A) HKG-LGG non-stop via Central Asia / Caucasus / Turkey (~9.0 BH, ~5,800 nm, payload-range tight at 100 t); (B) HKG-DXB-LGG with tech stop in Dubai (HKG-DXB 7.0 BH + DXB-LGG 6.5 BH = 13.5 BH plus 1.5 hr ground, full 100 t payload guaranteed). Fuel: HKG $1,050/t, DXB $720/t, LGG $1,150/t. Block-hour rate $20,000 (all-in). DXB landing + handling $18,000. Walk through the payload-range + cost trade-off and recommend.

Smart-question anchors

Fleet + freighter mix, main-deck + lower-deck capacity, nose-loader vs side-loader, age + renewal
Commercial model, ad-hoc vs ACMI vs block-space vs integrator overflow + broker panel relationships
Customer base, forwarders / OEMs / e-commerce / pharma / oil-and-gas / humanitarian + RFQ rhythm
Regulatory + certification posture. IOSA / ISAGO / CEIV Pharma + Fresh + Live Animals + DG scope
Geopolitical exposure. Russian overflight ban impact, Red Sea routing, China-US bilateral, sanctions screening

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