Digitalization is essential to air cargo, a sector that depends on information sharing across multiple partners and that has traditionally relied on paper.
The Digitalization Leadership Charter aims to accelerate the air cargo industry’s digitalization journey by committing to five key guiding principles:
“Digitalization is imperative for the air cargo industry,” says Brendan Sullivan, IATA’s Global Head of Cargo. “It requires alignment to ensure a unified and eff ective approach. IATA has introduced the Digitalization Charter to spearhead this alignment. The charter sets a benchmark for excellence.”
Central to the charter is ONE Record, which establishes a unified digital standard for shipment data sharing, improving transparency and collaboration across the supply chain. The aim is for all IATA members to achieve ONE Record capability by January 2026. Cathay Cargo and Lufthansa Cargo have already met this target. IT providers are also onboard to support the transition.
This will be especially important given the rise of e-commerce, which is increasing its share of the air cargo market. Shippers and consumers demand transparency at every step of the journey. To further assist, the updated IATA Interactive Cargo Guidance offers a unified framework, enabling tracking devices to ensure the quality and accuracy of conditions during shipment. This is also a vital tool in pharmaceutical trade.
But cargo’s digitalization is necessarily a collaborative eff ort, involving all stakeholders, including customs. To ease cross-border processes, Brazil has cut cargo release times from five days to just five hours, potentially reducing manual processing by up to 90%. Meanwhile, the European Union, the United Arab Emirates, and Canada have adopted pre-loading advance cargo information systems, joining the United States.
IATA’s digital cargo solutions cover numerous areas, from dangerous goods to live animals. LAR (Live Animals Regulations) Verify, for example, is an automated compliance solution for live animal shipments, streamlining planning, booking, acceptance, and handling. It provides real-time access to critical guidance and regulations alongside seamless integration with multiple cargo management systems.
Digital transformation is not a one-size-fi ts-all solution and requires tailored strategies that align with each organization’s goals and digital maturity. Nevertheless, IATA’s digital standards are providing the necessary connectivity, allowing the industry to move closer to a fully digital, transparent, and efficient future.
Discover how organizations are adopting key strategies to accelerate their cargo digitalization.
