Definition
Cargo carried aboard an aircraft that belongs to the operator (the airline or company itself) rather than to a paying customer. It is shipped between the company's own stations or facilities and is not classified as revenue freight.
Plain English
Stuff the airline is shipping for itself on its own aircraft, rather than cargo it has been paid to carry for someone else.
Context Anchor
Seen in airline operations, cargo handling, maintenance shipping, and load paperwork when company-owned items are being moved by aircraft.
Why Pilots Care
Correct classification ensures accurate aircraft weight, proper security screening, and compliance with regulations governing non-revenue loads.
Intuition Check
Do not read “company material” as training material or office documents only. In aviation, it means company-owned items being transported, including parts, tools, supplies, or records.
Example Sentence 1
The forward cargo hold contained two pallets of company material being shipped to the maintenance base.
Example Sentence 2
All company material must be weighed and secured before departure to maintain proper aircraft balance.