Belly freight
Cargo carried in the lower hold of a passenger aircraft, as opposed to a dedicated freighter.
Belly freight is cargo carried in the lower deck, or belly, of a passenger aircraft, in the space beneath the passenger cabin. It is distinct from freight carried on dedicated cargo aircraft (freighters). A large share of the world's air cargo moves as belly freight on scheduled passenger flights.
Belly freight matters for arms-logistics mapping because it means military components can move on ordinary scheduled passenger airline routes, not only on visible cargo carriers. That is part of why air freight through a passenger hub like JFK is a meaningful node to examine.
Also known as: belly cargo, air cargo
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Cite this page: Break the Chain (NYC-DSA Anti-War Working Group), "Belly freight," Arms-Trade and Logistics Glossary. https://wecanbreakthechain.com/glossary/belly-freight/
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The paper trail ends at the loading dock. Break the Chain documents the NYC-area companies that move the cargo, each with a documented role and a published source, and publishes the research as it lands.