Air Export Riga to Washington Dulles: 12 Cases of Diplomatic Cargo
Riga → Washington Dulles
A Riga-based relocation specialist handling diplomatic moves asked Unicore to fly 12 cases of diplomatic cargo from Riga to Washington Dulles (IAD). The consignment weighed 541 kg gross but took up 3.57 m³, so it was charged on its volumetric weight of 594.5 kg. Unicore booked the uplift with airBaltic out of RIX and onward carriage on American Airlines to IAD under a single electronic air waybill, cleared export customs in Latvia and handed the cargo to the US agent on arrival.
Shipment Facts
The Challenge
Diplomatic cargo is a sensitive consignment: it needs a clear chain of custody the whole way and no surprises at the transfer airport. The relocation company wanted one forwarder in Riga accountable from export booking to handover in the USA, because the cargo had to change airlines at a connecting hub on the way. And 12 identical cases of 93 × 47 × 68 cm are light for their size, so the shipment would be charged on its volumetric weight; the customer wanted that calculation on the table before booking.
How Unicore Handled It
- Booked the export uplift with airBaltic from Riga to the connecting hub and onward carriage on American Airlines to Washington Dulles, all under one electronic air waybill (eAWB).
- Calculated the chargeable weight up front: 12 pieces of 93 × 47 × 68 cm come to 3.57 m³, or 594.5 kg volumetric against 541 kg gross, so the shipment was rated on volume.
- Arranged the airline security surcharge, terminal handling at RIX and the airport export service fee as part of the same booking.
- Completed the export customs formalities in Latvia before the cargo was tendered to the airline.
- Handed the consignment over to the US agent at Washington Dulles, who took over the destination side.
The Result
- 12 cases of diplomatic cargo, 541 kg gross / 594.5 kg chargeable, flown from Riga to Washington Dulles on one eAWB.
- Follows an earlier, similar consignment of 3 cases and 133 kg that went through the same set-up.
- One of 10 Unicore air exports from Riga to US airports (BOS, CVG, IAD, JFK, LAX, MIA, RDU) in 2026 to date, 2,042 kg in total.
Based on a real Unicore shipment. Customer identity and commercial terms are withheld for confidentiality.