2026-09-21 · KeXinMaterials Redaktionsteam

ATA 300 Kategorie I Luftfahrttauglichkeit Koffer B2B Beschaffungsleitfaden: Anforderungen der Airlines

ATA 300 Kategorie I ist die Luftfahrttauglichkeitsnorm, die entscheidet, ob Airlines Ihren Gerätekoffer am Check-in annehmen. Es ist die am häufigsten geforderte Anforderung in der Beschaffung von Kamera-, Drohnen-, Broadcast- und Verteidigungsequipment — und diejenige, die Käufer am häufigsten falsch verstehen. ATA 300 ist keine Produktzertifizierung, sondern eine Prüfspezifikation der Airline Transport Association. KeXinMaterials (box-beeaa.com) liefert ATA-300-Cat-I-konforme Koffer mit projektspezifischer Prüfdokumentation. Leitfaden 2026.

What ATA 300 Category I Actually Is

ATA 300 is a test specification published by the Airline Transport Association. Category I is the level that permits airline check-in acceptance. Understanding what it tests prevents the most common procurement error.

ATA Specification 300 (ATA Spec 300) defines test requirements for protective enclosures intended for transport of sensitive equipment by commercial air cargo and passenger aircraft. It is published by the Airline Transport Association, not by a national standards body.

Category I: the case is designed to protect equipment during normal air transport handling and is intended to be accepted for airline check-in. This is the level commercial buyers mean when they write "ATA 300" into a spec. It is the most demanding in terms of handling robustness.

Category II: a higher tier with additional tests. Category III and below step down in handling severity. Most B2B specifications for camera, drone, and broadcast equipment reference Category I because that is the level tied to check-in acceptance.

What the tests cover: vibration, drop, and shock under simulated air-freight handling; temperature and humidity cycling; pressure differential simulating aircraft cabin and cargo hold altitude; and enclosure integrity. A case can pass the drop test and fail the pressure test, which is why a single "drop tested" claim is not evidence of ATA 300 compliance.

The most common procurement error: a supplier writes "ATA 300" on a datasheet with no test report, no test date, and no model reference. ATA 300 compliance is a per-model, per-test-report claim. A report for one shell does not cover a different shell with different gasket, valve, or hardware.

Buyer instruction: require a test report that names the specific model number, the test date, the test lab, and the pass criteria. A report older than the current hardware revision is not evidence for the current product.

Relationship to MIL-STD-810: ATA 300 and MIL-STD-810 overlap but are not the same. MIL-STD-810 is a US environmental engineering programme with many methods; ATA 300 is a transport-focused specification. A buyer who needs both should require evidence for both, not accept one as a substitute for the other.

Relationship to IP67: IP rating and ATA 300 test different things. IP67 is ingress protection. ATA 300 is handling and air-transport robustness. A case can be IP67 and not ATA 300, or ATA 300 and not IP67. Both specs must be read separately.

TSA-Approved Locks and Pressure Equalisation Valves

Two hardware features decide whether a case is accepted at check-in: a TSA-approved lock for US screening, and an automatic pressure equalisation valve for altitude pressure differential. Both are structural requirements, not accessories.

TSA-approved lock: US Transportation Security Administration approved locks allow airport security to open a checked bag without breaking the lock. Locks are identified by a TSA000-series master key designation. A case that will be checked in the United States needs a TSA-approved lock, or security may refuse the case or open it destructively.

TSA lock standards: TSA-approved locking devices are built to TSA0100 series standards for luggage locks and TSA0075/PAS 11 series for padlocks depending on category. The practical procurement requirement is simple — state "TSA-approved lock" in the specification and verify the lock carries the TSA master key designation. Do not accept a generic combination lock described as "TSA compatible" without verification.

Non-US markets: TSA approval is a US-specific requirement. For EU, UK, and other markets, the equivalent concerns are different — but TSA-approved locks are accepted almost everywhere, so specifying one is the simplest global solution. KeXinMaterials offers TSA-approved lock options across the range.

Automatic pressure equalisation valve: a case sealed at ground level and then exposed to aircraft cabin or cargo-hold altitude experiences a pressure differential. A rigid sealed enclosure can be pushed inward hard enough to crack the lid, deform the walls, or rupture the gasket. Worse, the pressure can pop the lid open, exposing contents to humidity and contamination.

How the valve solves it: an automatic valve equalises internal and external pressure as altitude changes, while still preventing water and dust ingress. It is a one-way membrane that vents outward as ambient pressure drops, then seals. This is a required feature on any case intended for air transport, and it is standard on KeXinMaterials waterproof lines.

Valve specification to demand: automatic (not manual — a manual valve left open defeats the seal, left closed defeats the purpose), rated for the altitude range in use, and with a replaceable membrane. Manual valves are acceptable for cases that never fly. For anything that flies, specify automatic.

Gasket requirement: EPDM is the correct material for the seal on an air-transport case. EPDM holds compression set across -40 to +120°C and resists ozone and UV. Silicone softens and tears sooner in the same range. Reject any specification that does not name the gasket material.

B2B relevance: the buyer who specifies "ATA 300 Cat I compliant" without also specifying TSA lock, automatic valve, and EPDM gasket will receive a case that may pass a test report and still get rejected at the airline counter. Write the three hardware requirements into the spec explicitly.

Cabin Carry-On Limits and the Dimensional Trap

ATA 300 Cat I governs check-in. Whether a case is accepted as cabin baggage is a separate, purely dimensional question — and it is the most common sizing error in drone case procurement.

The IATA cabin baggage reference: most airlines apply 56 x 36 x 23 cm (22 x 14 x 9 in) as the standard carry-on allowance for economy class, counting handles and wheels in the measurement. This is a guideline that individual airlines vary around, and it is frequently smaller than the case a buyer calculates from the equipment.

IATA cabin allowance table: IATA publishes a recommended allowance by fare class and airline type, commonly 56 x 36 x 23 cm for economy, 56 x 36 x 23 cm with weight limits for some premium, and 55 x 40 x 20 cm or 55 x 35 x 20 cm in some markets. Airline-specific pages override the general guidance.

The measurement trap: the allowance applies to the EXTERIOR dimensions including wheels, handles, and feet. Internal volume — the number a case catalogue leads with — is not what the gate agent measures. A case with 40 L of usable internal volume is routinely over the carry-on envelope if its shell is bulky.

Worked example — a drone case: a DJI Mavic 3 Pro with three batteries, controller, and charger needs roughly 32-38 L internal. A compact case of 400 x 350 x 250 mm external is about 35 L external and fits the drone, but 250 mm depth exceeds the 230 mm carry-on limit, so it must be checked. A case of 330 x 280 x 200 mm external fits within 56 x 36 x 23 cm and travels as cabin baggage — but its internal volume is smaller, so the buyer must reduce the equipment list or use a removable lid compartment.

Design response: a case intended for cabin carriage is designed to the external envelope first, then the interior is cut to what fits inside. A case intended for check-in is designed to the internal volume first, and the external envelope is a consequence. These are different products and they cannot be the same case with different marketing.

Weight limits: cabin allowances commonly cap at 7-10 kg including the case, and checked allowances commonly cap at 23-32 kg. A wheeled case with a full battery load can exceed these. The battery is often the heaviest single item in a drone or camera kit, which makes the case shell itself a design variable — a lighter shell buys cabin weight allowance.

B2B relevance: specify the intended carriage class in the requirement. "ATA 300 Cat I compliant, check-in" and "ATA 300 Cat I compliant, cabin carry-on within 56 x 36 x 23 cm and 7 kg" are different specifications, and they produce different cases with different prices. Asking for both at once is how procurement goes wrong.

IATA Lithium Battery Rules Layered on Top

ATA 300 governs the case. IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations govern the contents. When a case ships with lithium batteries, both apply simultaneously and the case design has to satisfy the intersection.

IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations: IATA DGR governs the transport of dangerous goods by air, including lithium batteries. It is published annually, and the requirements change. The edition in force at the time of shipment is the one that applies.

State of charge: for lithium-ion batteries shipped alone, air transport requires them to be at 30% state of charge or less. This has been in force for passenger aircraft since January 2017. Batteries contained in or packed with equipment are treated differently from batteries shipped alone, and the applicable limit differs — verify against the current IATA DGR edition rather than relying on a remembered rule.

UN numbers and marking: lithium-ion batteries contained in equipment are UN 3481; lithium-ion batteries packed with equipment are UN 3481 as well in the packed-with case; batteries shipped alone are UN 3480. Packages require the corresponding lithium battery mark and the shipper declaration where the threshold is exceeded. A case containing batteries must display the correct marks — this is a packaging requirement, not a labelling preference.

What the case must do: prevent short circuit through battery terminal contact, prevent movement of the battery within the case under vibration, prevent impact damage that could breach the cell, and resist water ingress. In practice this means dedicated battery bays sized so terminals cannot touch, a foam cut that grips the cell body, and non-conductive interior surfaces.

Wholesale threshold: the IATA packing thresholds depend on battery watt-hour rating and the package quantity. Above a threshold, a shipper's declaration for dangerous goods is required and the consignment becomes a DG shipment. This has direct cost and handling consequences and should be modelled before an airline shipping programme is committed to.

Interaction with ATA 300: a case can be ATA 300 Cat I compliant and still be unshippable with batteries inside if the foam layout allows terminal contact. The two requirements are independent and must both be satisfied by the same design. This is where most drone-case specification disputes actually come from.

B2B relevance: for any repeated shipment programme, get the battery handling documented as part of the case specification — bay dimensions, foam type and density at the battery location, and the terminal protection method — and have it reviewed against the current IATA DGR edition by a dangerous goods safety adviser. This is a documentation exercise, and it is far cheaper than a rejected shipment.

Procurement Checklist, Pricing and Supplier Questions

A ten-point specification that any supplier can be measured against, plus realistic 2026 pricing for an ATA 300 Cat I compliant case.

Point 1 — Name the category. Write "ATA 300 Specification 300 Category I" in full. "ATA 300" alone is ambiguous.

Point 2 — Require a test report. Model number, test date, test lab, and pass criteria. A report for a different shell revision is not evidence.

Point 3 — Specify TSA-approved lock. Verify the TSA master key designation, not "TSA compatible".

Point 4 — Specify automatic pressure equalisation valve. Manual valves do not satisfy air-transport intent.

Point 5 — Specify EPDM gasket. Do not accept an unspecified gasket material.

Point 6 — State the carriage class. Check-in or cabin carry-on, with the dimension and weight envelope if cabin.

Point 7 — State the IP requirement separately. IP67/IP68 and ATA 300 are independent specifications.

Point 8 — State the contents. If lithium batteries travel in the case, specify the battery bay design and terminal protection.

Point 9 — State the interior. Pick-and-pluck, padded divider, or CNC-cut to a named equipment list — each is a different price and lead time.

Point 10 — State the evidence pack required with the first shipment. Test report, material compliance (RoHS/REACH), and the packing mark specification.

Pricing (2026, FOB Shenzhen/Ningbo, 100+ MOQ): ATA 300 Cat I compliant IP67 case with TSA lock, automatic valve, and pick-and-pluck interior USD 22-40/unit. Same with CNC-cut layered foam interior USD 32-60/unit. IP68 with stainless hardware, TSA lock, and CNC foam USD 50-95/unit. Wheeled variants add USD 12-25/unit. Third-party ATA 300 test report, where commissioned, is a project cost quoted separately.

MOQ and lead time: 100 units per model per interior design; 50-100 units for standard interiors. Production 30-45 days at 100+ MOQ — case moulding 15-20 days, foam CNC 7-10 days, assembly and QC 5-8 days. Interior sample 7-15 days with two adjustment rounds. Third-party test report lead time, where required, is typically 4-8 weeks and should be planned before the launch date, not after.

Payment and trade terms: T/T 30% deposit + 70% before shipment. EXW Shenzhen / FOB Shenzhen / FOB Ningbo only. KeXinMaterials is B2B export only — no retail channel, no DDP quotation, and no overseas warehouse, so duty, clearance, and inland distribution sit with the buyer.

B2B recommendation: treat the test report as a deliverable with a due date, not a nice-to-have. A programme that launches before its ATA 300 evidence exists will discover the gap at the first airline counter, at which point the fix is a redesign and a re-test, not a document request.

FAQ

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