What happens at the airport: how cargo clearance works on arrival

For many families, the arrival of the flight is the most anxious moment of the whole journey. Your loved one is finally back on Nigerian soil, yet there is still a step between the aircraft and the family: cargo clearance. This article explains what that step involves, so the time at the airport feels less like an unknown.

Human remains travel as a specially handled air cargo consignment, not as ordinary luggage. When the flight lands, the consignment is moved to the airline's cargo terminal rather than the passenger baggage hall. It cannot simply be collected on sight. It must first be released through the airport's formal clearance process, which exists to confirm that the right documents are present and that the consignment matches what was declared.

Clearance means presenting the documentation that travelled with the remains, principally the Airway Bill, along with the supporting certificates, to the airline cargo office and the relevant airport authorities. The paperwork is checked against the consignment to confirm everything is in order. Where a government or port-health check is required at the point of entry, that is completed as part of this stage.

This is where having a representative physically present matters. The process involves specific offices, specific people, and a specific order of steps, and it is difficult to coordinate from another country. A representative who knows the cargo terminal, knows which document goes to which desk, and is there in person when the flight lands can move the process along far more smoothly than instructions sent from abroad.

How long clearance takes depends on several things outside any single party's control: when the flight actually lands, whether all documentation is complete and correct, and conditions at the cargo terminal on the day. For that reason we do not quote a fixed clearance time. What we do is be present, keep you informed, and act rather than wait. If a query arises, we address it on the ground and tell you what is happening.

Once the remains are released from the cargo terminal, the airport stage is complete. From there, onward transport to the mortuary, funeral home, or family destination begins. You will be told when our representative is at the airport, and again when the remains have been successfully released, so you are never left wondering whether anything has moved.