ULD
A Unit Load Device (ULD) is the standardised pallet or container used to load cargo, mail, and baggage onto wide-body aircraft. ULDs allow cargo to be pre-built away from the aircraft and loaded quickly during the turn — critical for tight aircraft scheduling.
Common ULD types include: AKE (LD3 lower-deck container, ~1.5 m³), AKH (LD3-46W reduced height), PMC (P6P main-deck pallet, ~10.6 m²), AMA (M1 main-deck container), and various specialised types for live animals, vehicles, or temperature-controlled cargo.
ULD management is a major operational concern — they're tracked as individual assets with status (free / allocated / loaded / in-transit / returned / damaged), pooled between airlines under interline agreements, and reconciled with weight & balance calculations for the aircraft.
ULDs are what make a fast aircraft turn possible — cargo is built up away from the aircraft and loaded in minutes. They are also tracked assets, pooled between airlines under interline agreements, and they feed directly into the aircraft's weight and balance, so managing them well matters both operationally and financially.
~1.5 m³
~10.6 m²
container
What is an LD3 (AKE)?
The most common lower-deck air cargo container, about 1.5 m³, shaped to fit the contour of a wide-body aircraft hold.
Why are ULDs tracked as assets?
Because they are valuable, reusable equipment shared between airlines. Their status (free, loaded, in-transit, damaged) is tracked and reconciled, and they factor into aircraft weight-and-balance calculations.