The true cost of an aircraft part: minimum order charges, certificate fees and everything between the unit price and your door
A quote line shows a unit price. The invoice, the freight bill and the broker's bill show what the part actually cost. On an expensive rotable the difference is a rounding error; on a line of hardware worth a few dollars it can be many times the part. This guide lists the charges that sit between the two (minimum order and minimum line charges, certificate fees, AOG and after-hours fees, dangerous goods, freight minimums, export filing, clearance and payment costs) and gives you the questions to ask before you issue the PO.
Why the cheapest unit price is often not the cheapest part
Most of these charges are fixed per order, per line, per parcel or per shipment. They do not scale with the value of the part. That is why they barely show on a $20,000 component and dominate a $10 line of washers, and why the offer with the lowest unit price can land as the most expensive one once every fixed charge is on it.
None of them is secret: sellers publish them in their terms, under the quote or on the proforma. They are hidden only from a comparison sheet built on unit price and lead time.
Minimum order and minimum line charges
A minimum is the charge you pay when an order, or a single line, comes in below a threshold the seller has set. It shows up in several shapes, and each one hits a different kind of order:
- Order (PO) minimum. A floor for the whole purchase order. One aerostructures manufacturer's published terms say a minimum order charge of $250 "may be billed" on part orders; a PMA parts maker's terms put its minimum at $75; a surplus dealer's at $20.
- Line minimum. A floor per line item. Five cheap lines on one PO can each be lifted to the line minimum, even when the PO as a whole clears the order minimum.
- Per transaction. A floor per order or shipment, however many lines it holds.
- Domestic and international. Some sellers set one minimum for domestic orders and another for export.
- Minimum quantity. Not money but pieces: a minimum order quantity (MOQ) or a standard package quantity. Fifty rivets when you needed six is a minimum charge paid in parts.
Minimums can also be written as a surcharge: "MOV fee" (minimum order value) or "MLV fee" (minimum line value) under a line is the same thing seen from the other side.
In supplier quotes we received between mid-June and 22 September 2026, about 118,000 quote lines priced in US dollars, 57% carried a minimum stated in money. 12% stated a minimum per line, 5.9% both an order minimum and a line minimum, 3.8% different minimums for domestic and international orders, and 3.2% a minimum "per transaction". Another 4.3% set the minimum as a quantity (MOQ, pieces or pack size) rather than an amount. A seller's minimum repeats on every line it quotes, so these are shares of lines, not of sellers.
What a minimum does to a comparison: an offer at $0.40 a piece with a $100 line minimum costs $100 for twenty pieces. An offer at $2.00 with no minimum costs $40. Compare lines at the quantity you will actually order, with the minimum applied.
Certificate fees: 8130-3, EASA Form 1, CoC
Whether a release certificate is included in the unit price is a frequent reason a quote looks cheaper than it is. Three situations to recognize:
- Included. The part ships with the manufacturer's or repair station's 8130-3 or EASA Form 1, and the price covers it.
- Available for a fee. A retail seller's order form, for example, adds a fixed amount when an 8130-3 is requested, notes that the form must be requested at the time of order, and warns that asking for it can delay shipment because the part may have to be special-ordered from the factory with the form. Ask whether such a fee is per order, per line, per piece or per serial number; if the seller issues one form per serial number, a fee per form multiplies with the quantity.
- Issued later, by a designee. A new part that has left the manufacturer's quality system can still receive an 8130-3 from an FAA-authorized person. One route is a Designated Airworthiness Representative (DAR), an individual the FAA appoints under 14 CFR 183.33; the FAA describes manufacturing DARs as working "as individual consultants". On a quote this shows up as a "DAR fee", a separate amount on top of the price.
In the same set of about 118,000 quote lines, 2.1% named a DAR fee in the line itself. In an earlier snapshot of the same quote data (June to September 2026), 46.6% of lines stated no certificate at all, which is the bigger risk: you cannot see a fee for a document the quote does not mention.
If a CoC is all the line offers and your quality system needs an 8130-3 or Form 1, the cheaper price is for a different product. Which certificate to ask for, and when a dual release is needed, is covered in 8130-3 vs EASA Form 1.
AOG, expedite and after-hours fees
When you need a part released today, after the warehouse has closed, or on a weekend, many sellers charge for it. Published examples show the range of structures:
- By the clock: one PMA manufacturer charges $75 for a same-day shipment requested between 3 and 5 p.m. Eastern, and $250 for requests after 5 p.m., on weekends or holidays.
- Per part: the aerostructures manufacturer's terms reserve an AOG service charge of $500 per part, plus recovery of any expedite charges its own vendors bill.
- A range: an AOG parts supplier writes that such fees cover staffing for shipment preparation outside working hours and "can range from $100 to $1,000 depending on the supplier".
- None: some sellers have dropped AOG fees altogether. It is worth asking.
An AOG fee is usually per part or per order, so it matters most when a small part grounds an aircraft. Ask for it on the quote, together with the latest time an order can still ship the same day. For the rest of an AOG hunt, see the AOG checklist for the first two hours.
Dangerous goods surcharges
Batteries, oxygen generators, fire extinguisher cartridges, sealants and many chemicals are dangerous goods in transport. They cost more to move in two ways: the seller may charge for DG packing and paperwork (one PMA manufacturer's terms add a minimum $75 fee to a hazmat shipment, on top of shipping), and the carrier adds its own dangerous goods surcharge.
Ask whether each line is dangerous goods, its UN number and class, and whether DG packing and the shipper's declaration are in the price.
In supplier quotes we received between June and September 2026, 424 quote lines mentioned dangerous goods in their text: hazmat, DG, a UN number, lithium or class 9.
Freight on a small line
Air freight is not priced by the value of what is in the box. Airline tariffs charge on chargeable weight, which is the higher of the actual weight and the volume weight (length × width × height in centimeters, divided by 6,000), and a published minimum charge applies when the weight charge comes out lower.
The consequence: a bag of screws and a small valve can cost the same to fly, and a few dollars of hardware can carry a freight line many times its own value. Three habits keep that in check:
- Ask for weight and packed dimensions before you order, not after.
- Know how many parcels your PO becomes. Three sellers are three domestic legs to your forwarder, each with its own minimum.
- Group small lines where you can. How to do that across many sellers is the subject of our guide to consolidating aircraft parts shipments.
Where the quote says the price stops (EXW, FCA, FOB) decides which freight legs are already in it; see Incoterms for aircraft parts.
Export filing, clearance and duties
Leaving the United States. Electronic Export Information (EEI) must be filed in AES for a shipment unless an exemption applies. The main one is value-based: no EEI is required when the goods classified under one Schedule B number, going from one US seller to one consignee on one conveyance, are worth $2,500 or less. The test is per Schedule B number, not per shipment, and it does not apply in the cases 15 CFR 30.2(a)(1)(iv) lists, including anything that needs a license. When EEI is needed, someone files it; in a routed export that is usually your forwarder, and its charge is part of your cost. Classification and licensing are covered in our export control guide.
Arriving at your end. Your customs broker's fee, duties and import taxes follow your country's rules, the value declared and the tariff classification. Countries that have signed the WTO Agreement on Trade in Civil Aircraft remove customs duties on the products listed in its annex when they are for use in a civil aircraft, and administer that through an end-use system, so the relief is not automatic; not every country is a signatory. Ask your broker what it needs from the seller before the part ships, not after it is held.
Payment and currency
Paying the invoice has a cost too. One manufacturer's terms add $15 for a domestic wire and $40 for an international one; a surplus dealer adds a 2% fee for card payments on orders over $10,000. Your own bank and any intermediary bank may take a share, and three sellers means three transfers.
If the quote is in a currency other than the one you pay in, the rate your bank uses on the day you pay decides the final number, not the rate on the day you compared offers. Compare offers in one currency, note the rate you used, and ask whether the price is fixed in the quoted currency until payment.
Costs that come after the PO
Some charges appear only if something changes: the aerostructures manufacturer's terms allow a $500 restocking fee for each unused part returned, and a surplus dealer charges the greater of 15% or $15 on returns caused by the buyer's error. Exchange units carry core charges. Ask about them before you choose a seller.
A worked example (illustrative numbers)
Every number below is a made-up round figure chosen to show the arithmetic. None is a price or fee of MG AVIATION TECH or of any seller.
A buyer outside the US places three lines with three US sellers, all quoted EXW:
| Charge | Line A: 20 screws at $0.50 | Line B: one sensor, AOG | Line C: sealant (DG) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit price × quantity | $10 | $1,800 | $120 |
| Minimum (line $75; order $250 on C) | +$65 | — | +$130 |
| Certificate (DAR-issued 8130-3) | +$50 | included | — |
| AOG / after-hours fee | — | +$250 | — |
| DG packing fee | — | — | +$75 |
| Domestic freight to forwarder | +$40 | +$40 | +$40 |
| Wire transfer to seller | +$40 | +$40 | +$40 |
| Per line | $205 | $2,130 | $405 |
Then the shared costs: international air freight with the carrier's DG surcharge and the forwarder's handling, say $400, and the destination broker, say $150. Duties and import taxes depend on the country and are left out.
- Sum of unit prices: $1,930.
- Landed before duties: $205 + $2,130 + $405 + $400 + $150 = $3,290, about 70% more.
- Line A, $10 of screws, costs $205 before its share of the international freight.
The sensor carries its fixed charges easily; the screws do not.
Checklist: what to ask before you issue the PO
| Ask | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Is there an order minimum, a line minimum, or a minimum per transaction? Is it different for export orders? | A line minimum lifts every cheap line separately. |
| Is there a minimum quantity or a standard pack size? | You pay for the pack, not for what you need. |
| Which certificate comes with the part, and is it in the price? If not: how much, per line, per piece or per serial number, and does it add lead time? | A DAR-issued or requested 8130-3 is often a separate charge and can delay shipment. |
| Is there an AOG, expedite or after-hours fee? What is the cut-off for same-day shipment? | Fees range from none to hundreds of dollars per part. |
| Is the line dangerous goods? UN number, class, DG packing and declaration included? | DG adds the seller's fee and the carrier's surcharge. |
| Packed weight and dimensions? Ships-from country? | Chargeable weight and origin set the freight, not the value. |
| Which Incoterm and named place? | Tells you which freight legs are already in the price. |
| For a US export: Schedule B or HTS number and ECCN; will the seller file EEI, or will your forwarder? | Filing has a cost and a lead time. |
| Quote currency, and is the price fixed until payment? Any wire or card fee? | Currency and payment fees are part of the landed cost. |
| Restocking fee, return window, core terms on exchanges? | What changing your mind costs. |
Then compare every offer at the quantity you will order, with every fixed charge applied. For the rest of the comparison (condition, certificate, trace, lead time), see why aircraft part prices differ.
In the same set of about 118,000 quote lines, 63.1% did not say which country the part ships from. Ask; it decides the freight leg and the export rules that apply.
If one of the offers on your sheet is ours: MG AVIATION TECH prices are Ex Works our warehouse in Orlando, FL, in US dollars. In our client portal every line shows the minimum order and, where the supplier states it, the country the part ships from, and the cost of bringing a line to Orlando is shown separately per line ("Shipping / line").
See the minimum and the shipping on every line
Send your RFQ to [email protected] in the file you already have: Excel, PDF, a scan or the email body, five lines or five hundred. Your inquiry will be reviewed by a specialist within one business day. In our client portal each line of the answer shows the unit price in USD Ex Works Orlando, the minimum order, the ships-from country where the supplier states it, and the shipping to Orlando as its own figure, so you can compare it with the rest of your sheet.
Our client portal, RFQ Radar, keeps every quote, order and invoice in one place.
Sources
- General Terms and Conditions — Spirit AeroSystems (minimum order charge, quotation line fee, AOG service charge, restocking fee).
- Terms and Conditions — ADPma (minimum order, AOG fees by time of day, hazmat fee, wire fees).
- Conditions of Use — Preferred Airparts (minimum order, restocking fee, card fee).
- Order form — Aircraft Spruce (8130-3 request fee and shipping delay note).
- AOG Part Support: What to Know When Your Aircraft is Grounded — C&L Aero.
- No More AOG Fees for Parts and Exchange Orders — Duncan Aviation, Fall 2015.
- Manufacturing and Airworthiness Designees (DMIR, DAR-F) — Federal Aviation Administration.
- Air Cargo Tariff: minimum charge, chargeable weight, volume weight — Korean Air Cargo.
- Air Cargo Tariffs and Rules: What You Need to Know — IATA, July 2021.
- 15 CFR part 30, Foreign Trade Regulations: §§ 30.2 and 30.37 — eCFR.
- Agreement on Trade in Civil Aircraft — World Trade Organization.