Air Cargo Planning
(under construction)
Air Cargo Load Plans
Air freight shipments are complex and require extensive planning and preparation. An air load
planner must be meticulous in the calculation of center of gravity (CG) for the aircraft, the Unit
Load Devices (ULD) CG, and the precise placement of ULDs by weight, height and
configuration. Each loading position has a maximum weight limit and adjacent positions are
affected by their neighboring ULDs. Poor CG calculations can lead to unbalanced aircraft that
lose many aspects of maneuverability and control. In addition to safety concerns, there are
many performance indicators that determine the quality of a load plan and they all must be
checked and double checked with scrutiny. An example of an overlooked indicator was
revealed in a 2003 report that described how an incorrectly shifted ULD of 75cm on an Airbus
A340 led to a loss of 4 tons of fuel. In 2013, an MRAP aboard a 747-400 shifted from its
centerline load position and rolled to the rear of the aircraft to such a degree that the center of
gravity was drastically changed. This caused a horrific crash that was captured in a video posted on You Tube.
Air freight load planners have three major problems to solve, and they are usually operating
under compressed timelines. One of the intrinsic characteristics of air freight is its urgency, it
often arrives with little notice and must be routed and loaded quickly, sometimes within hours of
receipt. Imagine if a load plan was being finalized just as urgent cargo arrived for immediate
load out. In some cases, large portions of a plan must be scrapped to accommodate last
minute additions. Under pressure, the load planner must then devise a new configuration and
calculate a new CG for the aircraft.
Under favorable circumstances, planners must deal with at least three problems:
Problem One: Configuration: An assessment and initial calculation must be completed to
determine the types and number of ULDs to be built for a particular airframe. Knowing that an
MD-11F has 26 ULD positions and a loading capacity of 93,230kg. is a good start. The MD-11F
is the most commonly used wide body freight liner by DHL, FedEx, UPS and Lufthansa Cargo.
Problem Two: Palletization: A planner must oversee load crews during the palletization
process to ensure that cargo is properly assigned to the correct ULD. The ULD must be
properly loaded, strapped, netted and/or blocked and braced to ensure that loads do not shift
within the ULD as this may affect the CG. The ULD must then be weighed, marked and the CG
determined, the CG must be marked in most instances on the ULD.
Problem Three: Weight and Balance: The total cargo weight must be determined, the center
of gravity calculated, and load positions adjusted with accuracy to ensure that the best CG
solution has been solved for.