Nearly 50% of air cargo industry prepared to adopt ONE Record: IATA

The global air cargo sector is showing a strong commitment to adopt the International Air Transport Association's (IATA) ONE Record standard, with its planned implementation slated for January 1, 2026. A recent IATA survey of cargo industry participants reveals that nearly 50% indicate they are already prepared for the transition and more than 70% are aware of the new standard.

ONE Record represents a fundamental shift for air freight, establishing a single, consistent digital language for cargo data exchange. This transformation promises to deliver greater transparency and collaboration across the supply chain, significantly reduce reliance on manual and paper-based processes, and build a modern data foundation for future innovations like automation.

The standard provides a single record view of the shipment, enhancing efficiency and long-term scalability.

The survey highlights the industry’s demand for continued support from IATA. A vast majority of stakeholders called for more practical guidance, with 78% welcoming increased pilots and demonstrations, 75% seeking additional peer examples and shared learning, and 80% requesting regular communication.

“The message from the air cargo industry is clear: stakeholders are moving decisively toward ONE Record as the preferred data-sharing standard and are looking to IATA for even stronger support as adoption accelerates,” said Brendan Sullivan, IATA’s Global Head of Cargo.

Sullivan further said, “In the coming months, we will expand opportunities to participate in ONE Record pilots and strengthen our adoption guidance for industry partners.”

He added that IATA will also work closely with regulators and IT providers to ensure the necessary alignment for ONE Record to fully modernise air cargo processes and deliver greater customer value.

To facilitate this accelerated adoption, IATA will focus on expanding pilot participation, providing targeted training and certification opportunities, sharing implementation best practices, and coordinating efforts with both regulatory bodies and IT service providers.

Leading industry players are already leveraging the standard to transform core processes. Cathay Pacific, is utilising ONE Record for integrated operations, including electronic Air Waybill (eAWB) submission, real-time shipment tracking, and streamlined customs status updates.

Technology provider CHAMP is using the standard to enable seamless, real-time booking pre-advice exchanges between airlines and ground handlers.

Highlighting broader adoption across international carriers, Turkish Cargo is actively implementing shipment-level ONE Record tracking for all cargo it processes or transports, offering customers enhanced visibility.

Regionally, Shandong Airlines is utilising the standard to facilitate digital booking exchanges with its network of freight forwarders.

Korean Air and GLS-KR are jointly automating the creation of shipment records directly from Cargo Community System (CCS) data via ONE Record integration.

This was first published in STAT Trade Times