A cargo storage and handling system for aircraft. A rack assembly mounts in an upper portion of the fuselage to form a cargo area in the upper lobe thereof. The rack includes a series of frames that are suspended from pre-existing attachment points for luggage bins. Cargo rails mounted on the frames support containers for movement through the upper lobe cargo area. Cargo may be raised to the upper lobe cargo area from the main deck of the aircraft using a lift apparatus. The lift apparatus includes a platform that is raised/lowered by a lift mechanism, the lift mechanism being mounted to/or enclosed within a barrier between the cargo and personnel areas of the aircraft, such as a 9G Barrier. A cover apparatus closes a cargo hole in the main deck of the aircraft for personnel safety. The cover apparatus includes a plurality of the elongate plate members that are mounted to underfloor portions of the seat tracks of the main deck of the aircraft so as to be selectively extensible/retractable into and out of the opening.