International Surface Air Lift™ (ISAL®) is a bulk mailing system that provides fast, economical international delivery of First-Class Mail International items. The cost is lower than First-Class Mail International. ISAL shipments are flown to the foreign destinations and entered into that country’s surface or nonpriority mail system for delivery.
First-Class Mail International postcards, letters, large envelopes (flats), and packages (small packets), as defined in 141.5, qualify and must be prepared by using the shape-based requirements of First-Class Mail International service (see 240) and the requirements of this subchapter. There is a minimum volume requirement of 50 pounds per mailing. Mail is prepared as (1) direct country sacks when there are 11 pounds or more to a single country or required country separation; (2) mixed country package sacks when there are 10 or more pieces or at least 1 pound of mail to a single country, but less than 11 pounds; and (3) residual mail when there are fewer than 10 pieces or less than 1 pound of mail to a single country. The weight of all residual mail must not exceed 10 percent of the combined weight of all other mail. Qualifying residual mail is subject to the appropriate ISAL price (Full Service, M–Bag, or Dropship ISC).
Note: A package is defined as 10 or more pieces of mail to the same country separation or 1 pound or more regardless of the number of pieces. Packages of letter–size pieces of mail should be no thicker than approximately a handful of mail (4 to 6 inches). Packages of flat–size mail may be thicker than 6 inches but must not weigh more than 11 pounds.
