Custom ATA Cases: Next-Level Protection For Your Gear

When shipping delicate or high-value equipment, even one rough trip can mean costly damage. That’s why choosing an ATA case is a smarter, more secure option. At Bel-Air Cases, we can design a custom ATA shipping case engineered to handle the toughest travel conditions—so your gear arrives intact, every time.

What Is An ATA Case?

An ATA case is a durable, protective shipping case built to meet the Air Transport Association (ATA) Specification 300 standards. These transportation cases are designed to safely transport sensitive or valuable equipment, such as electronics, musical instruments, medical devices, or trade show gear, especially during air travel.

These heavy duty cases are known for being tough, reusable, and impact-resistant, making them a go-to for professionals who need maximum protection. ATA cases are designed to meet the following criteria:

1. 100-Trip Tough – The ATA Case Standard

ATA Category I cases must be durable enough to survive at least 100 typical airline cargo trips without failure. This means enduring the full range of travel-related stress: baggage handling drops, stacking, shifting, loading, and unloading in both domestic and international transit. An ATA-compliant transit case protects its contents and maintains its structure over repeated use.

2. Shock & Impact Resistance

ATA transport and cargo cases must protect the contents against sudden shocks, vibration, and impact, such as being dropped from a height or hit by heavy equipment. This typically involves internal foam cushioning and rugged external materials that absorb energy and prevent damage to sensitive gear like electronics, instruments, or medical equipment.

3. Durable Construction

ATA cases must be built from rugged, long-lasting materials that can endure repeated handling, stacking, and impacts. Common materials include:

High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) – This is a lightweight, extremely durable plastic often used in molded ATA cases. HDPE resists cracking, moisture, and harsh temperatures, making it ideal for protecting sensitive equipment under rough travel conditions. This is the material we use at Bel-Air for all of our case shells.
Laminated plywood or ABS panels – This material offers strong yet slightly flexible protection. Bulky custom road cases often are made from this material, and while it is highly durable and easy to customize, these cases are quite heavy, which can increase your transportation costs.
Aluminum valances – providing structural support and maintaining alignment over time. We use durable aluminum for all of our valences.
Steel ball corners and recessed hardware – minimizing wear and preventing external damage during transport.

4. Secure Closure

Repeated jostling and movement can weaken inferior latches or hinges. ATA cases must feature high-quality, secure closures that remain tight and intact over time. Recessed latches and hinges are often used to avoid accidental openings and damage from external impacts. We offer many durable lock and latch options, including TSA-compliant locks.

5. Moisture & Dust Resistance

ATA cases must protect contents from environmental hazards, including:

Rain, humidity, or condensation
Dust, sand, or debris from transport environments

While they’re not necessarily waterproof, these cases are built to keep out moisture and particles that could harm delicate equipment. Keep in mind, that our custom flight cases are built using HDPE, which is moisture-resistant and resistant to many solvents, as well.

6. Reusability

A defining feature of an ATA-compliant case is that it must be fully reusable—not just once or twice, but again and again. The idea is to create long-term value and sustainability, reducing the need for replacement cases and protecting gear reliably across many trips. At Bel-Air, every ATA-compliant carrying case and shipping case we build is meant to last a lifetime.

Custom Foam Inserts for ATA Cases: Why the Interior Matters

When it comes to protecting your gear, the outside of the case is only half the equation. Custom foam inserts are what truly safeguard your equipment from impact, vibration, and shifting during transit. A well-designed interior ensures that every item—no matter how delicate, oddly shaped, or valuable—has a secure, cushioned place.

At Bel-Air Cases, we precision-cut foam interiors to match your exact specifications. Whether you’re transporting medical instruments, audio-visual gear, tools, or prototypes, our custom foam offers:

Exact Fit – Prevents movement and absorbs shock on all sides.
Layered Protection – Multi-level layouts for gear with accessories or cables.
Material Options – We select the right type of foam based on your item’s weight, fragility, and travel demands.
Enhanced Presentation – Custom foam can also enhance product presentation for sales kits or demo kits.

A durable case may protect your gear from the outside world, but it’s the custom interior that prevents damage from within. At Bel-Air, a hard case with foam can be as simple or complex as you need. We can provide you with a quality foam lining or craft a complex interior with die cuts, windows, doors, panel mounts, shock mounts and more.

Branding Your ATA Case: Logos, Decals & Custom Colors

At Bel-Air Cases, when we say that our padded equipment cases are custom, we mean that we can customize everything! This includes the look of your case. We can provide you with special features such as a cool molded-in logo, custom decals or engraved plates.

These can be ideal options for sales kits or OEM cases, but also a great way to ensure that your team can identify cases at a crowded baggage claim or on a busy convention floor. A pop of color also can be a great option to consider. Our standard case colors are silver and black, but we have additional stock colors including white, yellow, orange, red, blue, green and olive.

With a minimum order, we may be able to provide color matching or custom colors. Opting for a fleet of cases in your company’s signature hue can be a great way to attract attention and promote your brand.

Need ATA Cases? Contact Bel-Air Today

Whether you need just one ATA case or a plethora of ATA-compliant cases, we are always here to help. In addition to meeting ATA standards, our cases also can be made to meet most MIL specs. Over the last 50+ years, we’ve built cases for every imaginable industry and can craft shipping cases, carrying cases or trade show cases that meet all of your requirements.