Newsletter
ES
Sign in

Aviation glossary

Cargo hold

Also: hold, lower deck, belly hold, cargo compartment

The aircraft

Cargo compartment, usually located beneath the cabin floor, that carries checked baggage, freight and mail on a passenger aircraft.

What it is

On most passenger aircraft the fuselage has two levels: the cabin above and the hold below, divided into forward and aft compartments and often a bulk compartment at the very back for loose items and late bags. Airliner holds are pressurised and fitted with fire detection and suppression, and some areas are ventilated and heated so that live animals and perishable goods can travel.

On wide-bodies the hold is tall enough for standard containers and pallets, which is why long-haul passenger flights also carry a substantial share of the world's air cargo, often called belly cargo. On narrow-bodies baggage is usually loaded loose, piece by piece, although the Airbus A320 family can take a reduced-height container.

On Vuelopedia

Airbus A320

Related terms

ULDStandardised container or pallet in which baggage and freight are consolidated so they can be loaded onto an aircraft as a single unit. Wide-bodyAirliner with two cabin aisles and usually seven to ten seats per row in economy; the dominant type on long-haul routes. Narrow-bodyAirliner with a single cabin aisle and typically four to six seats per row; the most common type on short and medium-haul routes. PayloadWeight of everything that earns revenue on a flight, namely passengers and their baggage, cargo and mail, excluding the aircraft, crew and fuel. FreighterAircraft used solely to carry cargo, with no passenger cabin, a strengthened floor and a large cargo door on the main deck.
Whole glossary

Cite

To cite this page in academic work, an article or Wikipedia, choose the style and copy the reference. The access date is today.

This page was last updated on October 9, 2026

APA

Vuelopedia. (2026, October 9). Cargo hold. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/cargo-hold

MLA

“Cargo hold.” Vuelopedia, Fundación Poderia, 9 Oct. 2026, vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/cargo-hold. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Vuelopedia. “Cargo hold.” Fundación Poderia. Last modified October 9, 2026. https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/cargo-hold.

Harvard

Vuelopedia (2026) Cargo hold. Available at: https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/cargo-hold (Accessed: 16 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{vuelopedia_en_glossary_cargo_hold,
  author       = {{Vuelopedia}},
  title        = {{Cargo hold}},
  publisher    = {Fundación Poderia},
  year         = {2026},
  date         = {2026-10-09},
  url          = {https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/cargo-hold},
  howpublished = {\url{https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/cargo-hold}},
  urldate      = {2026-10-16},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-16}
}

Wikipedia

{{cite web |url=https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/cargo-hold |title=Cargo hold |website=Vuelopedia |publisher=Fundación Poderia |date=2026-10-09 |access-date=2026-10-16 |language=en}}

Explore the encyclopedia

Homethe record of every aircraftAirlinesdocumented fleetsModelsfrom the Airbus A220 to the Boeing 747Compareup to three aircraft, side by sideManufacturerswho builds the aircraft, and their enginesIVCA Rankingair quality, from 0 to 100Newsthe latest from the recordsOn this dayaviation, day by dayVideosone aviation story a day, on videoAirportsthe world's leading onesAccidentswhat every accident changedTimelinethe whole century, 1903 to todayPeoplewho made all of this possibleOn Screenwhen the airliner was the plotTriviaa daily aviation challengeMemoriesa name in an aircraft's historyPresspress releases and Vuelopedia in the mediaYour profilesign in or create your accountAboutwhat Vuelopedia is and who makes it