ISO 19281:2025
(Main)Air cargo — Fire-resistant containers — Design, performance and testing requirements
Air cargo — Fire-resistant containers — Design, performance and testing requirements
This document specifies the minimum design and performance criteria and testing methods of passive fire-resistant containers (FRCs) used in cargo compartments of civil transport aircraft to improve fire protection. This document does not cover requirements for fire detection or suppression devices. The specified fire-resistant containers (FRCs) are passive devices capable of containing a fire for a specific duration.
Fret aérien — Conteneurs résistant au feu — Exigences de conception, performances et essais
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Standards Content (Sample)
International
Standard
ISO 19281
Second edition
Air cargo — Fire-resistant
2025-05
containers — Design, performance
and testing requirements
Fret aérien — Conteneurs résistant au feu — Exigences de
conception, performances et essais
Reference number
© ISO 2025
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ii
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 General requirements . 2
4.1 Approval .2
4.2 Construction .2
4.3 Materials .3
4.4 Weight . .3
4.5 General design .3
4.6 Environment .4
4.7 Maintenance .5
5 Performance and testing . 5
5.1 Container body .5
5.1.1 General .5
5.1.2 Base .5
5.1.3 45° Angle test .5
5.1.4 Accessories .6
5.2 Environmental testing .6
5.3 FRC assembly .6
5.4 FRC full scale test .6
5.5 Allowable damage .7
5.6 General data collection and preservation requirements .8
6 Markings . 8
7 Manufacturer's instructions . 9
8 Operator requirements . 10
Annex A (normative) Location of thermocouples for FRC full scale test .11
Bibliography .12
iii
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through
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has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations,
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with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are described
in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the different types
of ISO document should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the editorial rules of the
ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
ISO draws attention to the possibility that the implementation of this document may involve the use of (a)
patent(s). ISO takes no position concerning the evidence, validity or applicability of any claimed patent
rights in respect thereof. As of the date of publication of this document, ISO had not received notice of (a)
patent(s) which may be required to implement this document. However, implementers are cautioned that
this may not represent the latest information, which may be obtained from the patent database available at
www.iso.org/patents. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
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related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the World Trade
Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 20, Aircraft and space vehicles, Subcommittee
SC 9, Air cargo and ground equipment.
This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition (ISO 19281:2016), which has been
technically revised.
The main changes are as follows:
— Clause 1: revision of the scope;
— Clause 3: revision of the original term entries 3.4 and 3.5, suppression of definitions 3.6, 3.8 and 3.9;
— Clause 4: revision of the general requirements, suppression of 4.1.3, 4.2.1, 4.6.6 and 4.6.7, addition of
4.5.5 and 4.7.2;
— Clause 5: revision of performance with the addition of testing (5.2 “Environmental testing”, 5.4 “FRC full
scale test”);
— Clause 8 (previous Clause 9): revision of the operator requirements with the suppression of 9.2 “Operating
instructions”, 9.3 “Training and qualification” and 9.4 “Quality control”.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html.
iv
Introduction
Fatal accidents have demonstrated the risk of uncontrolled fires occurring within cargo to transport
aircraft; it is evident that the use of fire protecting devices can improve flight safety.
This document specifies the design and performance criteria and testing methods for fire-resistant
containers used to provide enhanced protection against cargo fires in civil transport aircraft cargo
compartments.
The fire-resistant containers (FRCs) specified by this document are intended to be used to contain and
restrain unitized cargo for loading into aircraft cargo compartments, for example:
a) Class E aircraft cargo compartments according to CS-25, CCAR-25, JAS Part 3 or 14CFR Part 25 25.857 (e);
b) Class F aircraft cargo compartments according to CS-25 § 25.857(f) and AMC to CS-25.855 and 25.857,
or 14CFR Part 25 § 25.857(f) and FAA Advisory Circular AC25.857-X.
NOTE Though nothing formally prevents a fire-resistant container (FRC) from being carried in a Class C aircraft
cargo compartment, it is not intended for this use since its fire containment capability is redundant with that of the
aircraft's fire detection and suppression system. Current regulatory guidance materials and aircraft type's Weight
and Balance Manual can be consulted whenever available.
This document only specifies the flammability requirements and fire resistance performance for FRCs.
Nonetheless the other applicable general standards shall be taken into account (e.g. ISO 21100, ISO 8097,
ISO 10327, ISO 11242).
The containers specified in this document shall be designed and tested at both the full-scale and component
levels to demonstrate performance.
The use of fire-resistant containers meeting the requirements of this document alone is not sufficient to
ensure flight safety: this document is based on the assumption that the approved fire-resistant containers
are built up, installed, and checked prior to aircraft loading in accordance with appropriate operating
instructions, by competent, suitably trained, personnel (see Clause 8).
Recommended criteria are, while not mandatory, considered to be of primary importance in providing fire-
resistant containers meeting the applicable regulatory requirements and ensuring effective protection
against fires. Deviation from recommended criteria should only occur after careful consideration, extensive
testing, and thorough service evaluation have shown alternate methods to be satisfactory.
The requirements of this document are expressed in the applicable SI units, with approximate inch-pound
unit conversion between brackets for the convenience of countries using that system. Where it is deemed
necessary to use exact values, the values in SI units are used.
v
International Standard ISO 19281:2025(en)
Air cargo — Fire-resistant containers — Design, performance
and testing requirements
1 Scope
This document specifies the minimum design and performance criteria and testing methods of passive fire-
resistant containers (FRCs) used in cargo compartments of civil transport aircraft to improve fire protection.
This document does not cover requirements for fire detection or suppression devices. The specified fire-
resistant containers (FRCs) are passive devices capable of containing a fire for a specific duration.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content constitutes
requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references,
the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 877-1, Plastics — Methods of exposure to solar radiation — Part 1: General guidance
ISO 4892-1, Plastics — Methods of exposure to laboratory light sources — Part 1: General guidance
ISO 4892-3, Plastics — Methods of exposure to laboratory light sources — Part 3: Fluorescent UV lamps
ISO 8097, Aircraft — Minimum airworthiness requirements and test conditions for certified air cargo unit
load devices
ISO 10046, Aircraft — Methodology of calculating cargo compartment volumes
ISO 10254, Air cargo and ground equipment — Vocabulary
ISO 10327, Air cargo — Main deck containers — Design and testing
ISO 11242, Aircraft — Pressure equalization requirements for cargo containers
ISO 12236, Geosynthetics — Static puncture test (CBR test)
ISO 14186:2013, Air cargo — Fire containment covers — Design, performance and testing requirements
ISO 21100, Air cargo unit load devices — Performance requirements and test parameters
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in ISO 10254 and the following apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at https:// www .electropedia .org/
3.1
fire containment
fire control
ensuring that a fire does not grow to a state where damage to the aeroplane or harm to passengers or crew
occurs during the time for which the fire containment system is demonstrated to be effective
3.2
fire-resistant container
FRC
completely enclosed container, airworthiness approved under applicable general performance criteria, with
a demonstrated additional capability to contain a possible cargo fire within it for a rated period
Note 1 to entry: Guidance addressing the use of FRCs can be provided in airworthiness regulatory guidance documents
when they are one allowable means of compliance with fire containment (3.1) requirements in certain classes of
aircraft cargo compartments.
3.3
unit load device
ULD
device for grouping, transferring, and restraining cargo for transit
Note 1 to entry: It may consist of a pallet with a net or it may be a container.
Note 2 to entry: In this document, it is a synonym of “container”.
3.4
class A fire
fire in ordinary combustible materials, such as wood, cloth, paper, rubber, and plastics, for which the
quenching and cooling effects of quantities of water, or of solutions containing a large percentage of water,
are of prime importance
4 General requirements
4.1 Approval
4.1.1 The fire-resistant container's type design shall be approved for this purpose on the basis of
demonstration of conformity with this document. Where the fire-resistant container is intended to
constitute a means of complying with applicable airworthiness regulations, additional requirements from
the airworthiness authority concerned can apply.
4.1.2 The fire-resistant container shall, in addition, be airworthiness approved under the ultimate load
criteria in accordance with ISO 21100, or ISO 8097 if its size is not contained therein. The ultimate load
requirements and the fire resistance requirements are not required to be met simultaneously because it
is highly improbable that a cargo fire and maximum flight load condition would simultaneously occur. The
ULD manufacturer is responsible for authority approval.
4.2 Construction
4.2.1 In the case of a standard container fitted with protective linings or coatings, the expression “fire-
resistant container” exclusively designates throughout this document the complete assembly fully fitted
with intended coating, protections, or other appurtenances. The container's manufacturer shall be solely
responsible for required testing. See 4.3.1, NOTE regarding applicable approval procedures.
In this case, inner coatings or protective materials are exposed to interference from stacking cargo in the
container. Specific inner damage limits are required and can present container inspection and damage
assessment difficulties, see applicable requirements in 5.5.5.
4.2.2 The minimum performance requirements to be met are specified by this document and in addition
the container shall satisfy all general design and testing requirements of ISO 10327 for main deck containers.
4.2.3 This document does not cover the possibility of placing over a container a fire containment cover
(FCC) meeting the requirements of ISO 14186.
4.2.4 The fire-resistant container's dimensions and outer contour shall be within the maximum allowable
contour in accordance with ISO 10046, appropriate to the aircraft type(s) and loading positions it is designed
for. All other aspects shall meet the applicable requirements of ISO 21100 or ISO 8097 and ISO 10327 for
containers.
NOTE Industry standard maximum ULD contours applicable to containers are specified in Reference [4] and
identified by alphabetic codes in its Appendix E.
4.3 Materials
4.3.1 The fire-resistant container shall be constructed of materials meeting the fire resistance
requirements specified in 5.1.
NOTE With regard to container bases, bases consisting in a single aluminium alloy sheet are sufficient to meet the
requirements in 5.1.2 by themselves and can be exempted from the testing requirements of 5.1.3, while subject to the
FRC full scale test in 5.4.
4.3.2 Any other elements of the fire-resistant container's construction or equipment (e.g. joints of
sidewalls, roof and base panels, closure devices, seals), the failure of which would affect the capability of the
container to safely contain a fire, shall meet the requirements specified for them in 5.1.1.
4.3.3 Materials selection should ensure the highest possible wear, abrasion, shearing, tearing, and
puncture resistance. See 5.2 for environmental tests, including puncture resistance, U.V. and humidity, and
abrasion, applicable for non-metallic materials where used, e.g. flexible materials for doors.
4.3.4 During materials selection, preference shall be given to recyclable materials where this does not
compromise best fire protection performance. Asbestos or asbestos compounds shall not be used. Other
materials shall be assessed prior to selection as to potential detrimental effects on human health.
4.3.5 Where a composite material of a non-permanently attached component, for example, closure, is such
that one side shall be the inner one to withstand fire, the inner and outer colours shall be different to prevent
inverted installation (see 6.4).
4.4 Weight
The fire-resistant container's weight should be kept to a minimum while meeting structural and fire
containment requirements.
4.5 General design
4.5.1 The fire-resistant container's design shall be such that any inner features or components provide the
minimum required fire resistance.
4.5.2 Container closure devices shall provide the minimum fire and flame resistance.
4.5.3 The fire-resistant container's outer surface should be as smooth as possible to avoid any interference
with the aircraft's doors, compartment linings, and lights, and/or risk of snagging on adjacent ULDs
hardware.
4.5.4 In order to:
a) maintain normal pressure during flight, as well as the depressurization case in a class E cargo
compartment as a result of a fire;
b) allow venting of any flammable gases to prevent their accumulation.
The container's normal and emergency (rapid decompression) pressure equalization functions shall meet
the requirements in ISO 11242. The venting area for normal pressure equalization shall meet the minimum
2 3
5 cm /m internal volume in accordance with ISO 11242 and should allow for venting of flammable gases
and smoke within the upper and lower 30 cm (12 in) of the container’s doorway “chimney effect”.
2 3 3 3
NOTE 1 5 cm /m opening corresponds for typical main deck containers (inner volume between 13 m and 21 m ),
to a minimum door seals clearance of approximately 1 mm to 1,5 mm, all around the door's periphery. Due to the fact
that there is an extremely low probability that a rapid decompression and a fire occur simultaneously, there is no need
to require the fire containment performance to be maintained during a rapid decompression.
NOTE 2 The minimum required venting area is intended to maintain aircraft fire detection system performance at
the same level as with standard containers, and also to allow venting of gases other than air.
4.5.5 In addition to the requirements in ISO 11242, the design of containers shall take into account the
possibility of controlled depressurization of class E cargo compartments in the event of an in-flight fire,
to ensure that no permanent damage or deformation of the container will result, and container venting
areas will, after this event, remain in accordance with 4.5.4 during the rest of the flight. For this purpose,
2 2
depressurization from a 81 kPa (11,8 lb/in ) ambient cabin pressure down to 19 kPa (2,72 lb/in ) cruise
flight pressure in a duration of 1 min shall be considered, independently from the depressurization case in
1 s in ISO 11242:1996, 5.2 (see 4.5.4, NOTE 1). Demonstration may be by either test or analysis.
4.5.6 Where the normal pressure equalization venting area is not permanent but operates under a
pressure differential (e.g. door seals deformation), it shall open under a pressure differential between
2 2
3,5 kPa and 7 kPa (0,5 lbf/in to 1 lbf/in ) in accordance with ISO 11242.
4.5.7 If the fire-resistant container is equipped with self-contained automatic fire detection and/or
suppression or any other device not specified by this document, devices installation shall not compromise
the function and performance of the fire-resistant container or the safety of the aircraft, which shall remain
in accordance with the minimum performance and other requirements of this document.
4.6 Environment
4.6.1 The fire-resistant container shal
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