Containers
| Code | Also called | Base length | Base width | Height | Volume | Max gross |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AKE | LD3 | 1534 mm|60.4″ | 1562 mm|61.5″ | 1626 mm|64.0″ | 4.3 m³|152 ft³ | 1,588 kg|3,501 lb |
| AKH | LD3-45 | 1562 mm|61.5″ | 1534 mm|60.4″ | 1143 mm|45.0″ | 3.5 m³|124 ft³ | 1,134 kg|2,500 lb |
| ALF | LD6 | 3175 mm|125.0″ | 1534 mm|60.4″ | 1626 mm|64.0″ | 8.9 m³|314 ft³ | 3,175 kg|7,000 lb |
| AMA | LD9 / M1 | 3175 mm|125.0″ | 2438 mm|96.0″ | 2438 mm|96.0″ | 17.6 m³|622 ft³ | 6,804 kg|15,000 lb |
Pallets
| Code | Also called | Base length | Base width | Max height | Max gross |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PMC | P6P | 3175 mm|125.0″ | 2438 mm|96.0″ | 2438 mm|96.0″ | 6,804 kg|15,000 lb |
| PAG | P1P / LD7 | 3175 mm|125.0″ | 2235 mm|88.0″ | 2438 mm|96.0″ | 4,626 kg|10,199 lb |
| PLA | LD11 | 3175 mm|125.0″ | 1534 mm|60.4″ | 1626 mm|64.0″ | 3,175 kg|7,000 lb |
What each one is for
AKE / LD3
Widebody lower deck — A330, A350, B777, B787
The workhorse of air cargo. One cut corner lets it sit against the curve of the fuselage, which is why it is not a plain box.
AKH / LD3-45
Narrowbody lower deck — A320 family
A shortened AKE for single-aisle holds. The reduced height is the whole difference.
ALF / LD6
Widebody lower deck
Effectively two LD3 positions joined, with both lower corners cut.
AMA / LD9 / M1
Main deck freighter — B747F, B777F, MD-11F
A main-deck container. Only freighters and combis can take it; it will not fit a passenger aircraft hold.
PMC / P6P
Main deck and lower deck, widebody
The most common air pallet. Cargo is built up and netted rather than enclosed, so height depends on the position it is loaded into.
PAG / P1P / LD7
Widebody lower and main deck
Narrower than a PMC, for positions where the wider pallet will not fit.
PLA / LD11
Widebody lower deck
A half-width pallet for lower-deck positions, matching the ALF footprint.
Questions
- What is an LD3?
- The common name for the AKE, the most widely used air cargo container. It fits the lower deck of most widebody aircraft, and one lower corner is cut away so it sits against the curve of the fuselage.
- Why is one corner of a ULD cut off?
- To follow the curve of the aircraft hull. A lower-deck hold is round, so a square container would waste the space where the wall curves in — or not fit at all.
- What is the difference between a ULD container and a ULD pallet?
- A container encloses the cargo and has its own structure. A pallet is a flat base on which cargo is built up and secured under a net, so its height depends on the position it is loaded into rather than on the device.
- Can a main-deck ULD go on a passenger aircraft?
- No. Main-deck devices such as the AMA need a freighter or combi with a main-deck cargo door. A passenger aircraft can only take lower-deck devices in its belly holds.
Provided for convenience and general information only.Figures, definitions and descriptions on these pages are compiled from publicly available sources — published industry standards, official code registers and carriers' own published specifications — and are nominal: actual equipment, regulations and commercial terms vary by manufacturer, carrier, jurisdiction and contract, and change over time. FrateZone is not the issuing authority for any of it, does not warrant that any figure here is correct, current or complete, and makes no representation that a source has not changed since it was read. Where a specification belongs to a specific physical unit or a specific contract — a container's certified plate, an airline's tariff, the wording of your own sale agreement — that document governs, not this page. FrateZone accepts no liability for any error or omission here, nor for any operational, commercial, financial or legal decision taken in reliance on it. Verify against the authoritative source before you act.