100,000+
shipments delivered since 2015
AOG and Aerospace Freight
AOG stands for aircraft on ground, the status an airline or maintenance operation assigns when an aircraft cannot fly until a specific part arrives. AOG transport is the immediate, dedicated movement of that specific part, driven straight to the aircraft with no consolidation and no terminal stops. OVN moves AOG and aerospace freight as the carrier of record on every shipment, which means OVN holds the contract, issues the invoice, and carries the liability. OVN dispatches from a network of over 1,300 OVN-qualified cargo vans across the United States including Alaska and Canada, with cleared drivers available for airport and secure-facility pickups.
Why AOG Is Measured in Hours
An aircraft on ground is not a delayed shipment. It is an asset that stops earning the moment it is grounded, and the cost compounds across every downstream flight, crew rotation, and connecting passenger on the schedule. That is why AOG freight is dispatched differently from ordinary expedited freight. The decision is not which option is cheapest. It is which option puts the part in a mechanic's hands the fastest.
OVN treats an AOG call as a dispatch event rather than a quote request. The in-house team identifies the nearest qualified van, confirms the driver, and comes back with a rate and a pickup window in under 15 minutes, at any hour, on any day of the year.
Ground, Next Flight Out, or On-Board Courier
There are four common ways to move an AOG part, and the fastest one depends almost entirely on distance and timing. Knowing which is which before you call saves the hour that matters most.
| Option | How it works | When it is the fastest answer |
|---|---|---|
| Dedicated ground vehicle | One vehicle dispatched for the part alone, driven straight from the supplier or warehouse to the aircraft. | Regional and mid-range moves. No airport handling, no cutoffs, no risk of the part being bumped. A cargo van covers roughly 1,000 miles in 17 to 24 hours and can reach places an aircraft cannot serve directly. |
| Next flight out | The part travels as air cargo on the next available commercial flight, with ground legs on both ends. | Long distances. Adds handling, cutoffs, and tender deadlines on both ends, so it typically costs several hours regardless of flight time. |
| On-board courier | A person flies with the part as accompanied baggage. | Very long distances, international moves, and parts that cannot be tendered as cargo. |
| Air charter | An aircraft is chartered for the part alone. | Extreme distance combined with extreme cost of downtime, or destinations with no commercial service. |
Where a Cargo Van Can Actually Deliver
A cargo van reaches places a tractor-trailer cannot. OVN delivers to regional and general aviation airports, fixed base operators, tail-side maintenance facilities, hangars, MRO shops, and rural supplier locations, in addition to major commercial cargo terminals. On a mid-range AOG move, that access is often worth more than raw speed, because the part goes to the aircraft rather than to a terminal near the aircraft.
OVN also has cleared drivers available for airport and secure-facility pickups, including pickups from a TSA pre-screening facility straight to the plane. Those credentials and what they allow are covered on the secure facility pickups page.
Secure Facility PickupsWhat OVN Moves for Aviation and Aerospace
OVN moves the parts and materials that keep aircraft flying and aerospace production running:
Rotables and line replaceable units held for AOG release.
Avionics, instruments, and electronic components.
Engine and APU components, and time-critical MRO parts.
Landing gear, brake, and wheel assemblies within cargo van limits.
Cabin and interior components, including seats, panels, and galley equipment.
Tooling, ground support equipment parts, and test equipment.
AOG kits and consumables moving from a supplier or a sister station.
Aerospace manufacturing components moving between plants, suppliers, and subassembly sites.
Documentation and certification packets that must travel with a part.
What to Have Ready When You Call
An AOG dispatch moves faster when the first call carries the whole picture. Have these ready and OVN can quote and dispatch in a single exchange:
The pickup address, a site contact, and the hours that location is accessible.
The part's weight, dimensions, and packaging, including whether it is crated or on a skid.
Whether the part is classified as dangerous goods, which is common for batteries, chemical oxygen generators, aerosols, and fuel-wetted components.
The delivery point, including the gate, hangar, or FBO, and any credential or escort requirement at that location.
The time the part needs to be on site, and what happens if it is not.
Any paperwork that must travel with the part or be signed at delivery.
One Carrier, From the Call to the Signature
OVN is the carrier of record on every AOG and aerospace shipment it moves. OVN holds the contract, issues the invoice, and carries the liability. When an AOG move is in progress there is one company accountable and one number to call.
Tracking starts before the pickup. Most carriers begin tracking when the freight is loaded. OVN begins when the driver is still empty and en route to the supplier, which on an AOG move is the number the maintenance controller is waiting on. The tracking link can be white-labeled and shared with your own customer or your operations center, and OVN also accepts MacroPoint, Trucker Tool, and Project 44.
1,300+
OVN-qualified cargo vans and box trucks across North America
Under 15-minutes
average response to a quote
24/7/365
in-house dispatch, live, not an answering service or portal
FAQFrequently
Asked
Questions
AOG stands for aircraft on ground. It is the status an airline, operator, or maintenance organization assigns to an aircraft that cannot be returned to service until a specific part arrives. The term is used across aviation to signal that a shipment carries the highest possible priority.
AOG transport is the expedited movement of a part required to return a grounded aircraft to service. AOG shipments are dispatched immediately on a dedicated vehicle, moved directly to the aircraft or maintenance facility without consolidation, and handled around the clock, because a grounded aircraft stops earning revenue and disrupts every downstream flight on the schedule.
Yes. OVN moves AOG and aerospace freight across the United States including Alaska and Canada as the carrier of record on every shipment. Dispatch is staffed in-house 24 hours a day, every day of the year, responds in under 15 minutes, and quotes with the specific van already identified. OVN delivers to commercial cargo terminals, regional airports, fixed base operators, hangars, and tail-side maintenance facilities, and has cleared drivers available for airport and secure-facility pickups.
OVN responds to an AOG request in under 15 minutes at any hour and dispatches the nearest qualified cargo van in a network of over 1,300 across the United States including Alaska and Canada. Pickup time depends on the distance between that van and the supplier or warehouse holding the part. Because OVN identifies the specific vehicle before quoting, the pickup window is based on a real van already en route rather than an average.
Under roughly 600 miles it usually is. Next flight out adds ground legs, cargo tender cutoffs, and airport handling on both ends, which typically costs several hours regardless of flight time, and the part can be bumped. A dedicated cargo van driven straight through has none of those handoffs and can deliver to a hangar or tail-side location that air freight cannot reach directly. Beyond that range, air generally wins on transit time.
Yes. OVN delivers to commercial cargo terminals, regional and general aviation airports, fixed base operators, hangars, MRO facilities, and tail-side maintenance locations. Cargo vans can reach sites that tractor-trailers cannot, which on an AOG move often matters more than raw transit speed. Tell dispatch the exact delivery point and any gate or escort requirement when you call, and OVN will confirm access before the driver rolls.
Six things: the pickup address and site contact, the weight and dimensions of the part, whether it is classified as dangerous goods, the exact delivery point including gate or hangar and any credential requirement, the time the part has to be on site, and any paperwork that must travel with it or be signed at delivery. With those in hand OVN can quote and dispatch in a single exchange, in under 15 minutes.