Reference

M-2

Heaviest-rated main-deck container. Full IATA code, rate class, weights, volume and aircraft compatibility below.

M-2 unit load device
IATA ULD code
AGA 20-ft box container
Prefixes
ASE
Rate class
Type 1
Aircraft compatibility
747F, 747 Combi, 777F centre loading only
Maximum gross weight
11,340 kg (25,000 lb)
Tare weight
1,000 kg (2,204 lb)
AS1825 volume
33.7 m³ (1,190 ft³)

About the M-2

A twenty-foot main-deck box container built to the AGA code — one of the heaviest-rated units in the ULD system.

At 11,340 kg and 33.7 m³ behind a solid door, it is effectively a small shipping container for the air. It shares that 11,340 kg ceiling with the M-6 and M-6H pallets, but as an enclosed unit rather than an open one. The enclosure costs a tonne of tare, the highest of any general-purpose ULD.

What it carries

  • Heavy consignments
  • Machinery
  • Dense palletised cargo
  • Project cargo

How it is built

  • A twenty-foot main-deck box container.
  • The door is solid.
  • A heavier structural section than lower-deck equipment, sized to fill the main cargo deck of a freighter or Combi.
  • Rectangular or upper-contoured in profile, depending on where in the deck the unit is positioned.
  • A solid or canvas door with net straps, and base rails matched to the main-deck restraint system.

Why it is used

  • Far higher gross weight and volume per unit than any belly-hold ULD.
  • Loads through the main cargo door in one lift, which is what makes freighter turnarounds fast.
  • Suits dense or bulky consignments that would otherwise need several lower-deck units.

What to check before booking

  • Loadable only on freighters and Combi aircraft that have a main-deck cargo door.
  • Some positions accept centre loading only, which limits where the unit can be placed.
  • Handling needs main-deck loaders, so not every station can accept it.
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