NAICS Code 481212: Nonscheduled Chartered Freight Air Transportation
National industry
SBA small business size standard: 1,500 employees
Definition
This U.S. industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in providing air transportation of cargo without transporting passengers with no regular routes and regular schedules.
Government contracts for this service: PSC V126 Space Transportation and Launch Services
Code facts
- Part of
-
-
48-49
-
481
-
4812
- 48121
-
4812
-
481
-
48-49
- Contract awards
- 1,182 In the last 12 months
- Contract obligations
- $3,888,240,680 In FY2025
NAICS codes and definitions come from the U.S. Census Bureau, size standards from the SBA and contract spending from SAM.gov/FPDS.
Business activities under NAICS 481212
- Air cargo carriers (except air couriers), nonscheduled
- Charter air freight services
- Freight charter services, air
- Freight transportation, air, charter services
- Freight transportation, air, nonscheduled
- Helicopter carriers, freight, nonscheduled
- Nonscheduled air freight transportation
- Space transportation, freight, nonscheduled
- Transportation by spacecraft, freight
Looking for another activity? Search the NAICS code lookup or browse business activities from A to Z.
Contract obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Obligated |
|---|---|
| FY2027 To date | $144,108,573 |
| FY2026 | $6,093,178,519 |
| FY2025 | $3,888,240,680 |
| FY2024 | $4,374,911,525 |
| FY2023 | $2,855,178,027 |
Top contractors by obligations
| Rank | Contractor | Obligated, FY2026–FY2027 | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Space Exploration Technologies Corp. | $3,166,971,654 | |
| 2 | United Launch Services, LLC | $456,366,101 | |
| 3 | Blue Origin, LLC | $422,042,479 | |
| 4 | Kalitta Air LLC | $211,506,998 | |
| 5 | Firefly Aerospace Inc. | $173,711,067 | |
| 6 | Air Transport International Inc. | $155,605,722 | |
| 7 | Aero-Flite, Inc. | $135,437,322 | |
| 8 | Rocket Lab USA Inc. | $131,718,665 | |
| 9 | Helicopter Transport Services, LLC | $98,721,528 | |
| 10 | Bridger Air Tanker LLC | $85,929,356 |
See the full FY2025 ranking of NAICS 481212 contractors, by parent company.
Top funding agencies by obligations
| Rank | Agency | Obligated, FY2026–FY2027 | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Air Force | $4,399,431,380 | |
| 2 | Department of Agriculture | $1,008,756,597 | |
| 3 | National Aeronautics and Space Administration | $618,076,060 | |
| 4 | Office of the Secretary of Defense | $112,000,000 | |
| 5 | Department of the Navy | $56,463,650 | |
| 6 | Department of the Interior | $41,773,829 | |
| 7 | Department of Health and Human Services | $535,500 | |
| 8 | Department of Veterans Affairs | $185,000 | |
| 9 | Department of Justice | $29,896 | |
| 10 | Department of the Army | $23,750 |
Top PSC codes by obligations
| Rank | PSC code | Obligated, FY2026–FY2027 | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | V126 Space Transportation and Launch Services | $4,148,233,540 | |
| 2 |
F003 Forest/ |
$892,017,644 | |
| 3 | V121 Air Charter for Things | $477,117,090 | |
| 4 | AR14 Space R&D Services; Space Flight, Research and Supporting Activities; R&D Administrative Expenses | $412,985,034 | |
| 5 | V119 Other Cargo and Freight Services | $129,128,551 | |
| 6 | V111 Air Freight | $72,616,917 | |
| 7 | J018 Maintenance, Repair and Rebuilding of Equipment: Space Vehicles | $55,128,779 | |
| 8 | V221 Passenger Air Charter Service | $29,879,532 | |
| 9 | AR37 R&D – Space: Flight (Commercialized) | $20,024,101 | |
| 10 | V129 Other Vehicle Charter for Transportation of Things | $343,045 |
Contract obligations by state
| Rank | Place of performance | Obligated, last 12 months | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $3,617,923,008 | |
| 2 | Florida | $354,973,963 | |
| 3 | Colorado | $343,672,739 | |
| 4 | Texas | $320,399,059 | |
| 5 | Idaho | $276,591,357 | |
| 6 | Montana | $201,283,605 | |
| 7 | Washington | $145,785,678 | |
| 8 | Alaska | $112,055,076 | |
| 9 | Oregon | $101,945,449 | |
| 10 | Georgia | $53,519,337 | |
| 11 | Guam | $49,245,145 | |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $44,177,398 | |
| 13 | Nevada | $28,584,388 | |
| 14 | Utah | $21,746,049 | |
| 15 | Michigan | $20,836,195 | |
| 16 | Arizona | $12,524,938 | |
| 17 | South Dakota | $11,204,844 | |
| 18 | Wyoming | $10,214,062 | |
| 19 | Maryland | $5,975,713 | |
| 20 | New Mexico | $5,051,743 | |
| 21 | Illinois | $4,007,945 | |
| 22 | Ohio | $2,867,963 | |
| 23 | Hawaii | $437,567 | |
| 24 | Virginia | $277,619 |
Show all 24
Shares are of everything obligated under NAICS 481212 in the last 12 months before deobligations, including work performed abroad or with no place of performance on record.
Contract opportunities
Show 40 more
Latest 50 of 938 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Size standard history
Federal Register rules that named this code
From the NAICS codes each rule's amendments to 13 CFR 121.201 name. Rules that print their size standard tables as images aren't listed.
Quick answers
What is NAICS 481212?
NAICS 481212 is Nonscheduled Chartered Freight Air Transportation, a national industry in NAICS 48-49, Transportation and Warehousing.
What is the NAICS code for charter air freight services?
The NAICS code for charter air freight services is 481212, Nonscheduled Chartered Freight Air Transportation.
What is the NAICS code for nonscheduled air freight transportation?
The NAICS code for nonscheduled air freight transportation is 481212, Nonscheduled Chartered Freight Air Transportation.
What is the NAICS code for freight charter services, air?
The NAICS code for freight charter services, air is 481212, Nonscheduled Chartered Freight Air Transportation.
When did the size standard for NAICS 481212 last change?
The most recent Federal Register rule on record that names NAICS 481212 in the SBA's size standards is "Small Business Size Standards: Industries With Employee Based Size Standards Not Part of Manufacturing, Wholesale Trade, or Retail Trade" (81 FR 4436), published Jan 26, 2016 and effective Feb 26, 2016.
How much do federal agencies spend under NAICS 481212?
Federal contracts under NAICS 481212 obligated $3,888,240,680 in fiscal year 2025 and $17,355,617,324 in fiscal years 2023 through 2027.
Who are the largest contractors under NAICS 481212?
The contractors with the most obligated under NAICS 481212 in fiscal years 2026 and 2027 are Space Exploration Technologies Corp. ($3,166,971,654); United Launch Services, LLC ($456,366,101); and Blue Origin, LLC ($422,042,479).
Which agencies buy the most under NAICS 481212?
The agencies that obligated the most under NAICS 481212 in fiscal years 2026 and 2027 are Air Force ($4,399,431,380), Department of Agriculture ($1,008,756,597) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration ($618,076,060).
Which PSC codes are used with NAICS 481212?
The PSC codes with the most obligated under NAICS 481212 in fiscal years 2026 and 2027 are V126 Space Transportation and Launch Services, F003 Forest/
Where is the work under NAICS 481212 performed?
By place of performance, the states with the most contract obligations under NAICS 481212 over the last 12 months are California ($3,617,923,008), Florida ($354,973,963) and Colorado ($343,672,739).
What is the latest contract opportunity under NAICS 481212?
The latest contract opportunity under NAICS 481212 is Fair Opportunity Exception for T0251 In-Space Coating Development Utilizing Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD)", limited / sole source justification from Armstrong Flight Research Center, posted September 23, 2026.
On GovTribe
See everything under NAICS 481212
- Federal contract opportunities, awards and IDVs under this code
- Funding analysis by contractor, agency and set-aside
- Contacts who buy under this code
- Ask GovTribe AI about this code