Belly Cargo

Belly cargo is the space in the lower deck of passenger aircraft where cargo is stored during flight. This method involves transporting goods in the lower deck of passenger aircraft, leveraging the existing capacity of planes primarily designed for passenger transport. Airlines combine cargo transportation with passenger traffic to reach a better occupancy rate of the space available on a flight. Height restrictions in passenger aircraft are typically 160cm for a Boeing 747 in passenger service, with a safe universal height limit of 152cm for lower decks.

A Lufthansa Cargo shipment (AWB prefix 020) uses LD3 containers with IATA code AKE in the belly of an Airbus A350, where each LD3 container can carry up to 1,588kg with dimensions of 201cm x 153cm x 163cm. An American Airlines (AWB prefix 001) Boeing 787-9 carries PMC pallets in its lower deck with up to 32,005kg capacity in the forward compartment and 25,655kg in the aft compartment, totaling approximately 60 metric tons of belly cargo capacity.

• belly freight
• passenger belly
• lower deck cargo

What are the weight and size limits for belly cargo on passenger aircraft?

Passenger aircraft have a height limit of 160cm for cargo pieces on a Boeing 747, with a universal safe height of 152cm for lower decks. Common ULD weight limits are: LD3 containers = 1,588kg, LD7 containers = 3,175kg, PMC pallets = 6,804kg. Narrowbody aircraft such as B737 or A321 offer between 1-4 tonnes of cargo capacity, with belly capacity ranging up to 6 tonnes for narrow body aircraft.

What types of ULD containers and pallets are used in belly cargo operations?

LD3 containers (AKE) are the most versatile, fitting in the lower hold of most wide-body aircraft (B767, B777, A330, A350), while LD7 containers or PMC pallets are used on B747 and A380 main deck positions. The LD3-45 container is designed to fit the A320 family aircraft with a reduced height to fit the narrowbody smaller hold. Container codes include: LD3 = AKE, LD3-45 = AKH, LD1 = AKC, and LD7 = P1P.