Fine Art & Collectibles Air Transport

Littlebird Cargo · Fine art & collectibles

Fine art and collectibles, handled gently

Fewer handoffs means less risk. A dedicated aircraft carries your piece directly between regional airports.

Request cargo access
2handoffs
Yours at departure, theirs at arrival.
0sorting hubs
No conveyor belts, no trucks, no transfers.
Sameday
Leave when your shipment is ready.
1all-in price
For the whole aircraft, whatever you ship.

Fine art & collectibles

Fine Art & Collectibles Air Transport

Paintings, sculpture, antiques, rare books and collectibles are safest when they're moved as little as possible. A Littlebird flight carries them in the cabin of one aircraft, from departure to arrival, without sorting or transfers.

Galleries, collectors, conservators and auction houses use dedicated flights for urgent loans, sales and installations, and for pieces too valuable to put through a freight network.

Packing fine art & collectibles for the flight

  • Have the piece professionally crated or soft-packed for air transport; we don't pack art ourselves.
  • Measure the packed piece, not the artwork: the crate has to fit through the aircraft door.
  • Declare each package's value at checkout and talk to us about coverage before you book.

Fewer hands

Every handoff is a risk. We cut them to two.

Overnight carrier

7+ handoffs · usually next day or later

  1. Courier pickup
  2. Local depot
  3. Sort hub
  4. Airline hold
  5. Sort hub
  6. Local depot
  7. Delivery van

Littlebird Cargo

2 handoffs · often there in hours

  1. You, at the FBO
  2. Your dedicated Cirrus
  3. Your recipient

The aircraft flies for your fine art & collectibles alone, so nothing else is loaded, sorted or transferred along the way.

On board

Where your package rides

Inside the cabin of a Cirrus SR20, not a cargo hold or a sorting bin. Our crew loads it, secures it and keeps it in sight from engine start to shutdown.

Cirrus SR20
Cirrus SR20
Cirrus SR20
Cirrus SR20
Cirrus SR20
Cirrus SR20

Who it's for

What our shippers fly

  1. 01

    Gallery and fair logistics

    Works to and from art fairs and exhibitions on your installation schedule.

  2. 02

    Private sales

    A sold piece delivered to the buyer's nearest airport.

  3. 03

    Conservation

    Pieces to the conservator and home again.

  4. 04

    Collectibles

    Sports memorabilia, rare books, coins and stamps that need careful handling.

Sign in to request cargo access

Cargo is for approved shippers. Create a free account or log in, tell us what you ship, and we'll email you once you're approved.

Create accountLog in

How it works

From your hands to theirs, on one aircraft

  1. 01

    Request access

    Sign in and tell us what you ship. Our team reviews every shipper before their first flight and emails you when you're approved.

  2. 02

    Search and book

    Search flights as usual and choose Cargo. You get an instant, all-in price for the whole aircraft.

  3. 03

    Describe your packages

    At checkout, enter each box's contents, weight, dimensions and value, and confirm nothing is hazardous.

  4. 04

    Drop off, we fly

    Hand your packages to our crew at the departure FBO. Your recipient meets the aircraft when it lands.

What we can't carry

No hazmat. Ever.

We don't carry dangerous goods of any kind. Every shipper confirms it at checkout, and our crews may refuse any package that looks or smells unsafe.

  • Explosives, fireworks, flares and ammunition
  • Flammable liquids and solids: fuel, paint, lighters, matches, aerosols
  • Compressed gases: scuba tanks, CO₂ and oxygen cylinders, propane
  • Loose lithium batteries, damaged batteries and power banks shipped on their own
  • Corrosives, acids, bleach and wet-cell batteries
  • Poisons, pesticides and infectious or biological substances
  • Radioactive material and magnetized material
  • Dry ice and anything packed with it
  • Anything regulated as dangerous goods (hazmat) under 49 CFR or IATA rules

Questions

Shipping fine art & collectibles by air

How large a crate can you carry?

Each package can be up to 72 inches on its longest side and 200 lb, but the aircraft door is the real limit. Send us the crate dimensions and our team confirms it fits before you fly.

Is the cabin climate-controlled?

Our aircraft are heated and ventilated, and your piece rides in the cabin rather than an unheated hold. Tell us about any temperature or humidity needs in the notes.

Can a registrar or courier fly with the work?

Yes. Book a passenger flight for the courier and tell us about the piece in the notes at checkout.

How does cargo with Littlebird work?

Sign in and request cargo access. Once our team approves your account, search flights as usual and choose Cargo instead of Passengers. At checkout, tell us the weight, dimensions and contents of each package, then drop them at the departure FBO; your recipient meets the aircraft at the other end.

Do I need a passenger on board?

No. A cargo flight carries only your packages and the crew. If someone is traveling with the shipment, book a passenger flight and tell us about it in the notes.

Do you carry hazmat?

No. We don't carry dangerous goods of any kind: no explosives, flammables, compressed gases, loose lithium batteries, corrosives, poisons, infectious substances, radioactive material or dry ice.

Why do I have to request access?

Cargo is for known shippers. We review each account before its first shipment so we know who we're flying for and what they ship.

How much does it cost?

You book the whole aircraft, so cargo is priced like a charter: by the route, the aircraft and the time. Search a flight to see an instant, all-in price.

Cargo

More we fly