Digital Cargo Strategic Partnerships Program

*This area will be available from January 1, 2025  

Digital Cargo Strategic Partnerships Summary

The initiatives defined and driven by IATA aim to address the challenges around the lack of true digital integration, by leading the industry with end-to-end supply chain collaboration on the development of innovative technologies, streamlined processes and global standards. The Digital Cargo area’s vision is to achieve a fully digitally connected and integrated air cargo supply chain, while ensuring that it is equipped with standards and guidance.  

Benefits

• Benefit from first selection of sponsorship/exhibition opportunities at IATA World Cargo Symposium and CNS Conference and any Digital Cargo event organized by IATA, including Hackathons  
• Benefit from the opportunity to network with airlines and IATA Subject Matter Experts  
• Participate in industry meetings
• Participate in the new standards collaboration tool
• Advertise in various IATA publications
• Advertise on the Cargo website at a discounted rate  
• Receive industry notifications on a broad spectrum of areas including Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), Customs, Security, etc  
• Receive a complimentary premium listing in both IATA Cargolink and ONE Source  
• Participate in the development of new standards
• Be informed of changes in regulations

Activities

Digital Cargo Working Group (DCWG)

The objectives of the Digital Cargo Working Group (DCWG) are to provide recommendations to the Cargo Operations and Technology Board (COTB) on the development of digital cargo standards, adoption plans and implementation guides.

Specifically, these recommendations include:

• The development and enhancement of the ONE Record standards (in particular on the API & Security topics and also on the data model maintenance and expansion);  
• The e-AWB / e-Freight industry adoption strategy and plan;  
• Specific expertise with regard to digital cargo processes;  
• The definition of a ONE Record industry-wide adoption and rollout plan (considering the legacy e-Freight infrastructure);
• Standards, processes, guidelines and procedures for communication and operations to enable air cargo to be interactive (e.g., standards to locate, monitor, send/receive notifications, respond); 
• Standards, processes, guidelines and procedures to facilitate the safe and efficient use of connected devices in air cargo (to track, monitor, plan and control);  
• The development of Policy Papers, Recommended Practices, and Standard Operating Procedures to track, locate, monitor, notify and respond to real-time / near-real-time notifications by facilitating the safe and efficient use of connected devices in air cargo.  
  
  

Cargo Operations & Technology Board (COTB)
The Cargo Operations and Technology Board (COTB) develops and maintains industry standards for the procedures, documentation and flow of information data relating to the air cargo business, by facilitating the discussion and resolution of issues within its purview. The COTB is responsible for specific activities such as technical standards for AWB and procedures, standards for cargo labels and bar codes, standards for the application of automatic identification technology in the air cargo business, technical and procedural standards for cargo EDI, etc.

The COTB oversees the development of new standards that support the ongoing digitalization of the air cargo industry, and is also responsible for providing guidance for the implementation of IATA/CSC standards.

Cargo Messaging Working Group (CMWG)
The Cargo Messaging Working Group (CMWG) initiated the development of multimodal and cross-border Cargo-XML Standards in 2009. The move was initiated because of the CSC strategic direction to have an alternative messaging standard which is more enriching, flexible, and robust.

Following the discontinuation of the C-IMP standard, the CMWG is actively developing, maintaining and improving the Cargo-XML standard when required, through its Cargo-XML Manual and Toolkit.  

Focus Areas

• One Record

• e-Freight / e-AWB
• Digital Cargo future initiative
• Piece-level tracking
• Tracking and monitoring business processes and operations
• Data sharing and management linked to Interactive Cargo
• Interactive Cargo
• Cargo XML Messaging Standard

Designed for

• Supply chain operators
• Cargo IT application providers
• Freight forwarder and Shipper IT application providers
• Device Manufacturers such as Cargo trackers
• CCS / Digital Connectivity Providers
• Technology solution providers
• Global Distribution Systems (GDSs)
• Shippers
• Ground Handlers
• International or National Organizations in Air Cargo
• Aircraft Manufacturers
• ULD Manufacturers

 

> View the full list of Strategic Partnerships Program Benefits