What does ULD stand for?

Unit load device: an aircraft pallet with its net, or an aircraft container. Cargo is built up onto ULDs before the flight so a whole unit loads into the hold at once.

What is an LD3 container?

The lower-deck container with the IATA code AKE. IAG Cargo gives its volume as 150 cubic feet (4.2 m³) and its tare as 74 kg; Cargolux rates its AKE at 4.3 m³ and 1,587 kg gross.

How long can a forwarder keep an airline's ULD?

Each airline sets its own terms. Cargolux allows 5 days, charges daily demurrage from the 6th, and treats a unit not returned within 180 days as lost.

Term

Unit load device (ULD)

A unit load device (ULD) is an aircraft pallet with its net, or an aircraft container, that lets cargo load into an aircraft hold as one unit. The AKE container, also called an LD3, is rated at 4.3 m³ and 1,587 kg gross on Cargolux's sheet; a PMC pallet takes up to 6,804 kg on a main deck.

Also called ULD, LD3, AKE container, PMC pallet, air cargo containerUpdated 13 October 2026

Pallets and containers

IATA's definition has two halves: an aircraft pallet and pallet net combination, or an aircraft container. Either way a ULD is a removable aircraft part, subject to aviation authorities' rules from design and testing to repair, because it has to restrain its load in flight and protect the aircraft's structure. Sizes are set by type code, and each airline publishes the dimensions and maximum weights it accepts.

Type	Size (mm)	Volume	Max gross weight
AKE (LD3) container	1,562 × 1,534 × 1,626 outside; 1,460 × 1,432 × 1,524 inside	4.3 m³	1,587 kg, of which 100 kg is the container
PMC pallet, main deck	3,175 × 2,440 base, 3,000 high	19.35 m³	6,804 kg
PMC pallet, lower deck	3,175 × 2,440 base, 1,620 high	10.85 m³	5,034 kg

Cargolux ULD specifications

Worked example: 4.2 m³ of cartons

Rectangular space inside an AKE: 1.460 × 1.432 × 1.524 m = 3.19 m³ · 4.2 m³ of cartons ÷ 3.19 m³ = 1.3 → 2 AKEs · payload per AKE: 1,587 − 100 kg = 1,487 kg

The rest of the rated 4.3 m³ lies outside that rectangle, so square cartons can't use all of it. IAG Cargo rates its own LD3 at 4.2 m³ and 74 kg tare — the numbers vary by maker, so plan with the carrying airline's sheet.

Who pays for the ULD

Airlines lend ULDs to forwarders that build their own units, and charge for keeping them. Cargolux's conditions allow 5 days to return a unit, then charge demurrage from the 6th day, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays included — €14.38 a day for an AKE and €8.28 for a PMC on its September 2022 list. A ULD not returned within 180 days of release is treated as lost.

The mistake people make

Planning a load to the brochure figures. The maximum gross weight includes the unit's own tare, and the rectangular space inside an AKE is about three quarters of its rated volume, so cargo planned to 4.3 m³ and 1,587 kg does not fit one container.

FAQ