Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) and Champ Cargosystems are to go live with a joint use case of IATA’s ONE Record digital data-sharing standard.
IATA’s wants airlines and other stakeholders to implement ONE Record capability by 1 January 2026 as part of its phased digitalisation programme for air cargo. ONE Record builds on IATA’s earlier e-freight programme and more recent e-AWB initiative, which is now used for most air cargo shipments.
Under the use case launch, Cathay Cargo will send shipment booking data, initially for shipments between Paris CDG and Hong Kong, to WFS in real-time via Champ’s 1Neo-Connect server using IATA’s ONE Record API data standards. This will replace the consolidated Flight Booking List (FBL) message, currently sent in a traditional Cargo-IMP format over the SITA and ARINC networks.
ONE Record creates a single record view of a shipment and defines a common data model for the data shared through standardized and secured web API. The standard is based on mature but progressive data sharing technologies aligned with the best practices of leading airlines. This makes it directly accessible to IT teams and service providers.
As the use case progresses, and new trade lanes are added, it will be expanded to include a wide variety of data types, according to the IATA ONE Record data model. The aim is to receive more comprehensive data sooner to allow better decision-making.
Future ONE Record use cases will include shipment records, accompanying documents, special cargo, checklists, and other planning data to increase visibility and help cargo handlers manage workload. Ultimately, it will help to drive new value-added services and business models.
WFS currently provides cargo services for Cathay Cargo in Belgium, France, Spain and the UK as well as in four major airport stations in North America – Boston, Houston, Los Angeles and Miami – and in Bengaluru, India, handling over 95,000 tonnes a year.
WFS chief information officer for Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia, Pedro Garcia, said:
“ONE Record is a step-change in the way the air cargo industry exchanges information and will take digitalisation to the next level to improve data visibility, transparency, quality, and control. As leading players in the industry, WFS, Cathay Cargo and CHAMP are launching this use case to not only test its efficiency but to also signal our intent to move forward with ONE Record and make IATA’s implementation target date a reality.
“This is not about sending the same information via a different channel; it provides an opportunity to exchange much richer data with greater frequency and will lead to improved efficiency across air cargo.”
Champ chief executive, Chris McDermott, added: “CHAMP sees ONE Record as the standard that will drive the full digitalisation of air cargo and enable new services, so it’s very exciting to see this implementation come to fruition.”
The following day, Champ Cargosystems announced that it was to join handling company Swissport with Cathay Cargo in second ONE Record scheme. It said its 1Neo-Connect will offer ONE Record capabilities and standardised data exchange, improved visibility, real-time booking updates and better planning of cargo shipments.