Airline service trolley facts for kids
An airline service trolley is a special cart used by flight attendants on airplanes. They use it to carry drinks, meals, and other items to passengers during a flight. You might also hear them called airline catering trolleys or meal trolleys.
Contents
The Story of Airline Trolleys
Airline service trolleys first appeared in the late 1960s. This was when new, much larger airplanes, called "widebody" aircraft, started flying. These planes could carry many more passengers than older ones.
Before trolleys, flight attendants delivered meals by hand. With so many people on board, this became very difficult. Trolleys made it much easier and faster to serve everyone. Similar trolleys are now also used on some long-distance trains.
How Airline Trolleys are Built
An airline trolley is like a strong, box-shaped cart. It has wheels at each corner, which can be locked with brakes. This stops the trolley from moving around during the flight.
Trolleys come in two main sizes: full-size and half-size. Both sizes have doors on the front. Full-size trolleys also have a door on the back. They also have handles at the top for easy pushing.
Different Types of Trolleys
There are a few main types, or "families," of trolleys used by airlines:
- ACE: These are mostly used by British Airways.
- ATLAS: This is the most common type, used by about 80% of airlines. Its name comes from the first airlines that helped design it: Alitalia, TAP Portugal, Lufthansa, Air France, and Sabena.
- KSSU: This type is named after KLM, Swissair, SAS Scandinavian Airlines, and Union de Transports Aériens (UTA). Cathay Pacific also uses them.
Airlines often change these trolley designs a little to fit their own needs.
Trolley Sizes and Weight
A full-size ATLAS trolley is usually about 0.3 meters (1 foot) wide. It stands about 1.03 meters (3 feet 4 inches) tall. It is also about 0.81 meters (2 feet 8 inches) long.
When empty, a full-size trolley weighs around 15 kilograms (33 pounds). Lighter versions are also made. Half-size trolleys are about 0.405 meters (1 foot 4 inches) long.
