AOG Courier Companies: How to Compare Providers for Aircraft on Ground

AOG courier companies move aircraft parts to a grounded aircraft as fast as the law and the route allow, using dedicated ground vehicles, next flight out air freight, or a courier who flies with the part in hand. The right provider depends less on speed claims and more on three things: whether they can get cargo screened for a passenger aircraft, whether they can handle dangerous goods, and whether they can reach the airfield.

Most firms shopping for AOG support compare quoted transit times. That is the wrong first filter. A four hour quote means nothing if the part is a lithium battery that cannot legally fly as cargo on the passenger flight the quote assumed.

This guide covers what actually separates AOG providers, which delivery mode fits which situation, and the questions worth asking before an aircraft is sitting on a ramp waiting.

What an AOG courier company actually moves

An aircraft on ground event means a required part has failed and the aircraft cannot legally or safely fly until it is replaced. Every hour the aircraft sits generates cost across crew, passengers, gates and the downstream schedule. The courier is one link in a chain that also includes the parts desk, the repair station and the maintenance crew.

The parts themselves vary enormously. A sensor the size of a fist. An avionics line replaceable unit in a padded case. A wheel and brake assembly on a pallet. Occasionally something large enough to need a truck of its own.

Destination matters as much as origin. Parts go to certificated repair stations, to line maintenance at a gate, to a hangar, or into a bonded store. Under 14 CFR part 145, a repair station holds a certificate that authorises it to perform maintenance, preventive maintenance or alterations on aircraft and components. Those facilities have their own receiving procedures and their own hours.

A courier who has delivered to that facility before knows which gate to use and who signs. One who has not will spend an hour finding out, and that hour is the whole point of paying for AOG service.

The four delivery modes and when each applies

Providers describe these differently, but the underlying options are stable.

Mode	Typical use	Main limit	Dangerous goods
Dedicated ground vehicle	Regional moves where driving beats waiting for a flight	Distance and traffic	Widest latitude, subject to ground hazmat rules
Next flight out	Long distance where a commercial flight is leaving sooner than you can drive	Flight schedule, cargo cutoff and screening	Restricted. Passenger aircraft cargo rules apply
On board courier	High value or time critical parts that need unbroken custody	Seat availability and what can travel as baggage	Most restricted. Baggage rules are tighter again
Charter	Oversized parts or routes with no suitable commercial service	Cost and aircraft availability	Depends on the operator and the aircraft

The mode decision is usually made for you by the part. A unit containing lithium batteries narrows the options immediately. Something oversized rules out the passenger cabin. A short regional hop often favours a van, because a driver leaving now beats a flight leaving in four hours.

We cover the distinction between the two air options in more depth in our guide to next flight out versus on board courier.

Why cargo screening decides who can move your part

This is the part that surprises people new to AOG logistics, and it quietly eliminates a lot of providers.

TSA requires 100 percent of cargo transported on passenger aircraft to be screened at a level of security equivalent to the screening of passenger checked baggage. That requirement comes from section 1602 of the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007, and the deadline for a system covering all such cargo was 3 August 2010.

Airlines cannot absorb all of that screening themselves, so TSA created the Certified Cargo Screening Program. It certifies facilities in the United States that volunteer to screen cargo before tendering it to aircraft operators. Manufacturers, warehouses, distribution centres, third party logistics providers, indirect air carriers and airport cargo handlers can all participate.

The operational consequence is the piece worth remembering. TSA states that participating facilities must carry out a TSA approved security program and adhere to strict chain of custody requirements, and that cargo must be secured from the time it is screened until it is placed on passenger aircraft. A part that leaves secure custody after screening has to be screened again, which costs you the time you were buying.

So when a provider quotes a next flight out time, the honest version of the question is not how fast they drive to the airport. It is where the screening happens and whether custody holds from that point to the aircraft.

Aircraft parts that are dangerous goods

Aviation parts are unusually likely to be regulated in transport. Batteries, pressurised components, items containing fuel residue, chemical oxygen generators and some composites all come with rules attached.

Lithium batteries are the common case. Under 49 CFR 173.185, lithium ion cells and batteries shipped as cargo are forbidden aboard passenger aircraft, and packages must be marked to say so or carry a CARGO AIRCRAFT ONLY label. There is a narrow exception, approved by the Associate Administrator, for up to two replacement cells or batteries for a medical device.

Read that against the previous section and the practical effect is clear. If your AOG part contains a lithium ion battery, the fastest passenger flight is not available to it as cargo, and any quote built on that routing is wrong. The move becomes a cargo aircraft routing, a ground run, or a charter.

None of this means a courier should be making the classification call for you. Shippers carry responsibility for declaring dangerous goods correctly. Confirm the classification with your own dangerous goods program or the shipper of record, and ask the courier what they are certified to accept rather than assuming.

How to compare AOG courier companies

Start with dangerous goods capability, because it is binary. Ask what classes they can accept and who on their side is trained. A company that answers vaguely here will discover the problem at the cargo counter, with your aircraft still on the ground.

Second, ask how cargo gets screened for passenger aircraft moves and whether custody is maintained from screening to loading. The answer tells you whether their next flight out times are realistic or aspirational.

Third, ask about airfield and facility access. Delivering to a repair station, a line maintenance bay, a general aviation ramp and a bonded store are four different problems. Prior experience at the destination is worth more than a shorter quoted transit time.

Fourth, dispatch. AOG events do not happen conveniently. If dispatch closes, you have a gap, and the gap is usually where the expensive hours accumulate. Ask whether a person answers at 2am.

Fifth, tracking and documentation. You want timestamped proof of pickup, custody and delivery, both because maintenance records care and because the cost of the delay will be reviewed by someone later.

Last, ask what happens when the plan fails. Flights cancel. A provider with one routing and no alternative is selling you optimism. The useful answer describes the fallback: the next cargo flight, a driver already moving, or a charter quote ready to go.

Working with an AOG courier when an aircraft is down

Give dispatch the part, the destination facility and the deadline in that order. The part determines the legal options, the destination determines access, and only then does speed become a real conversation rather than a guess.

Say up front if the part contains a battery, holds pressure, or has fuel or hydraulic residue. This is the single most useful thing you can volunteer, and it is the thing most often left until the courier is already en route.

Ask for the fallback plan at booking rather than during the problem. A dispatcher who already knows the next cargo departure and the driving time is a dispatcher who can switch modes without calling you back.

Power House Courier handles AOG emergency shipments with 24/7 dispatch, including next flight out and on board courier service where a person stays with the shipment. For oversized or regional moves, parts travel by sprinter van or hot shot trucking. Our aviation industry page covers the wider picture.

If you are new to this category, our guide to AOG courier service explains the terminology.

Frequently asked questions

What does AOG actually stand for?

Aircraft on ground. It describes a situation where a fault means the aircraft cannot be returned to service until a part is replaced. The term is used across airlines, repair stations and parts suppliers to flag that a shipment is holding an aircraft out of service rather than simply being urgent.

Can any courier move aircraft parts by air?

No. Cargo on passenger aircraft has to be screened to a standard equivalent to checked baggage, and custody must hold from screening until loading. Providers without access to compliant screening either cannot use those flights or will lose time having the shipment screened again.

Why can lithium batteries not fly on a passenger aircraft as cargo?

Under 49 CFR 173.185, lithium ion cells and batteries shipped as cargo are forbidden aboard passenger aircraft, and packages must be marked accordingly or carry a CARGO AIRCRAFT ONLY label. A narrow approved exception exists for up to two replacement batteries for a medical device.

Is an on board courier always faster than next flight out?

Not always. An on board courier keeps unbroken custody and removes cargo handling, which helps for high value parts. It depends on seat availability, and baggage rules restrict dangerous goods more tightly than cargo rules. For many routings next flight out is quicker and cheaper.

What should I tell dispatch when I call about an AOG part?

Describe the part including any battery, pressure or fuel residue, name the destination facility and its receiving hours, and state the deadline. Those three pieces determine which modes are legal and which are practical, which is what the quote should be built on.

Does a repair station need anything special on delivery?

Often yes. A certificated repair station under 14 CFR part 145 has its own receiving procedures, hours and documentation requirements, and access points differ from passenger terminal areas. Confirm who signs for the part and which entrance to use before the driver is on the way.

Sources

• 14 CFR 145.1, Repair stations: applicability
• TSA, Certified Cargo Screening Program
• 49 CFR 173.185, Lithium cells and batteries

If you have an aircraft waiting on a part, call (323) 744-1900 for 24/7 dispatch, or request a quote.

Last reviewed: September 2026 by the Power House Courier dispatch team.