What is the ATLAS standard? Half Size and Full Size aircraft trolleys explained simply

Anyone looking to buy an aircraft trolley or a Bord Box soon comes across one term: the ATLAS standard. It determines whether drawers, inserts and shelves will actually fit later on. In this article we explain in plain terms what the ATLAS standard is, how it differs from the KSSU standard and what “Half Size” and “Full Size” mean.

What is the ATLAS standard?

When the first wide-body aircraft entered service at the end of the 1960s, meals for hundreds of passengers could no longer be served by hand. The solution was wheeled service carts – the galley trolleys. So that carts and inserts would fit together across entire fleets, the industry agreed on uniform dimensions. This gave rise to two worldwide standards: ATLAS and KSSU. Today ATLAS is by far the most widespread standard – and the one our trolleys and Bord Boxes are made to.

ATLAS or KSSU? A small but crucial difference

At first glance the two standards are almost identical: in both cases a trolley is around 103 cm high and 30.5 cm wide. The difference lies in the depth:

• ATLAS: approx. 40.5 cm deep
• KSSU: approx. 42.5 cm deep

Those few centimetres are no minor detail: ATLAS and KSSU accessories are not interchangeable. An insert for a KSSU cart will not fit an ATLAS trolley. So if you buy accessories later, make sure they follow the right standard. Incidentally, the name KSSU comes from the airlines KLM, SAS, Swissair and UTA.

Half Size vs. Full Size – which size suits me?

Besides the standard, there are two sizes:

• Half Size: the compact, everyday version with one door. It is the right choice for your home, office or bar.
• Full Size: twice as deep (around 81 cm for ATLAS) and with two doors – designed so that two crew members can work at it at the same time. For private use this is rarely practical.

That is why at aircrafted we deliberately focus on the ATLAS Half Size format: handy, versatile and perfect for living spaces and offices.

How do I recognise an ATLAS trolley?

Already have a trolley and not sure which standard it follows? Two simple checks will help:

• Measure the depth: around 40.5 cm points to ATLAS, around 42.5 cm to KSSU.
• Count the rails: inside, an ATLAS cart typically has 13 guide rails for the inserts.

Why the standard matters so much for accessories

The biggest advantage of a standardised system is modularity: drawers, aluminium drawers, shelves or a wine glass holder can be combined freely – as long as everything follows the same standard. That is exactly why we clearly state the standard and format for every product, so your accessories are guaranteed to fit.

Brand-new to the ATLAS standard – at aircrafted

All our products are brand-new and made in a production facility that also builds to the ATLAS standard for airlines. So you get genuine aviation quality as original equipment – not a used part. Browse our trolleys, for example the Bar Edition or the Home & Office set, or discover the compact Bord Boxes for flexible storage.

In short: ATLAS is the most widespread trolley standard worldwide, around 40.5 cm deep and not compatible with KSSU – and Half Size is the everyday size for the home. Always check that accessories match the standard.