Commonly Used Terms

A cargo container is a solid vessel made up of a storage unit to conform to the inside of an aircraft. The container should be compatible with aircraft equipment and cargo handling systems so that it can be used for air freight transportation.

There are many shapes and sizes of containers. Air cargo containers fall into three categories: 

1.  Air Cargo Pallets - These are plane or flat structures used in cargo container ships for supporting cargo goods or containers. Cargo is kept atop these, and the process is referred to as palletizing.
2.  Lower Deck Containers - The containers that are designed to fit inside an aircraft. While aircraft carry passengers, lower deck containers are the ones that are placed below the cabin.
3.  Box Type Containers - These containers are enclosed and are used for general-purpose transportation. They are also known as cube containers. Standard heights for dry closed containers are 8 ft, 6 in. They are manufactured with an extended height of 9 ft, 6 in., and are also referred to as high cube containers.