Reference

LD-1

Half-width contour under the AKC code. The IATA code, rate class, weights, volume and aircraft fit are below.

LD-1 unit load device
IATA code
AKC contoured container
Code prefixes
AVC, AVD, AVK, AVJ, and forkable AVY
Rate class
Type 8
Door size
147 x 155 cm (58 x 61 in)
Aircraft it fits
747, 767, 777, 787, MD-11 lower hold
Max gross weight
1,588 kg (3,501 lb)
Empty weight
70 to 170 kg (155 to 375 lb)
AS1825 volume
5.0 m³ (175 ft³)

How the LD-1 is used

A half-width lower-hold container with one angled side, matching a widebody belly contour. The door is canvas or solid.

It sits close to the LD-3 and shares that gross-weight rating, but it is built to the AKC code with its own prefixes. Empty weight varies widely between builds, from 70 to 170 kg, so it is worth asking which version the airline is offering.

Cargo it usually takes

  • General air freight
  • Parcels
  • Freight already on pallets

How this family is arranged

  • A half-width lower-hold unit with one angled side.
  • The door is a canvas curtain or a solid panel.
  • The forkable version uses the AVY prefix.
  • Aluminium sheet on an extruded aluminium frame. The structure stays as light as it can, because every kilogram of empty weight takes the place of paying cargo.
  • A flat base with hardened edge rails locks into the aircraft latch and roller system, so the unit stays put without separate lashing.
  • One or two sides are angled to follow the fuselage curve, so the unit fills the belly cross-section instead of leaving empty corners.
  • The door is either a canvas curtain with restraint straps built in, or a hinged solid panel.
  • Forkable variants have channels so a forklift can move them, as well as a dolly and a loader.

Why operators pick it

  • It fills the curved belly space that loose cargo would leave empty.
  • The whole unit goes on and off in one lift, which keeps the turnaround short.
  • The cargo is restrained in flight, so each piece does not need its own tie-down.
  • Airlines and aircraft can swap the unit under the IATA identification system.

Settle these points before you book

  • Empty weight counts against the payload, so a heavier unit carries less cargo for the same rate.
  • The load must stay inside the contour. Anything above the profile fouls the hold and is rejected at build-up.
  • A canvas door keeps weather out. It is not a secure closure.
Back to all units