Reference
LD-3
The most widely used ULD in the world. Full IATA code, rate class, weights, volume and aircraft compatibility below.
- IATA ULD code
- AKE contoured container
- Prefixes
- AKE, AVA, AVB, AVC, AVK, DVA, DVE, DVP, XKS, XKG, and forkable AKN, AVN, DKN, DVN, and XKN
- Rate class
- Type 8
- Door opening
- 147 x 155 cm (58 x 61 in)
- Aircraft compatibility
- A300, A310, A330, A340, 747, 767, 777, DC-10, MD-11, L-1011 lower hold
- Maximum gross weight
- 1,588 kg (3,500 lb)
- Tare weight
- 82 kg (181 lb)
- AS1825 volume
- 4.5 m³ (159 ft³)
About the LD-3
A half-width lower-hold container with one angled side, built to the AKE code. The door is either a canvas curtain or a solid panel.
Two LD-3s sit side by side across the belly of a widebody, which makes this the default building block for lower-hold cargo and the most numerous ULD in service. The prefix family is correspondingly large, and forkable variants can be moved by forklift as well as by dolly. It loads on essentially every widebody flying.
What it carries
How it is built
- Half-width lower-deck unit with one angled side, so a pair sits across the belly of a widebody.
- The door is either a canvas curtain or a solid panel, depending on the build.
- Forkable variants run under the AKN, AVN, DKN, DVN and XKN prefixes.
- Aluminium sheet panels on an extruded aluminium frame, kept as light as the structure allows because every kilogram of tare displaces revenue payload.
- A flat base plate with hardened edge rails that engage the aircraft's latch and roller system, so the unit locks into position without separate lashing.
- One or two sides angled to follow the curve of the fuselage, letting the unit fill the belly-hold cross-section rather than leaving dead space.
- A door that is either a canvas curtain with built-in restraint straps or a hinged solid panel, depending on the variant.
- Forklift channels on the variants marked forkable, so the unit can be handled by forklift as well as by dolly and loader.
Why it is used
- Fills the contoured belly space that loose cargo would waste.
- Loads and unloads in a single lift, which is what keeps aircraft turnaround times short.
- Restrains the cargo in flight, so individual pieces need no separate tie-down.
- Interchangeable between airlines and aircraft under the IATA ULD identification system.
What to check before booking
- Tare weight counts against the payload allowance — a heavier unit carries less cargo for the same rate.
- The load must stay inside the contour; anything above the profile will foul the hold and be rejected at build-up.
- A canvas door resists weather but is not a secure closure.
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