Cathay Cargo: IATA ONE Record Data protocol used for the first time

On Friday Feb. 7, 2025, Cathay Cargo became the first carrier to implement the International Air Transport Association (IATA) One Record data protocol. A year ahead of the set date of January 2026.

Interaction With Freight Forwarders Through ONE Record

The interaction was between three freight forwarders. The Chinese Mainland-Sinotrans Air Freight, WECAN International Freight Forwarding International Logistics and All-Link Logistics. The freight forwarders exchanged electronic air waybill (eAWB) and shipment status information with Cathay Cargo in December 2024. This was through an application programme interface (API) designed to ONE Record data protocols. 

In Jan. 2025, Sinotrans Hong Kong Air Transportation Development became the very first Hong Kong forwarder to submit eAWB information, through ONE Record data protocols. Additionally, they reviewed shipment information from Cathay Cargo using ONE Record data protocols. The Director of Cargo at Cathay, Tom Owen said: 

“These successful real-world use cases demonstrate the continuing commitment of Cathay Cargo to taking a leadership role in the digitalisation of the air-cargo shipment process. We are well positioned to meet IATA’s ONE Record implementation target of January 2026. The technical ease of aligning our key customers’ systems using ONE Record protocols with APIs highlights that there is nothing to fear in making the change and lots to be gained from the operational efficiencies, enhanced security and greater transparency of the overall shipment process.”

Benefits of IATA ONE Record

This is a remarkable step into the future as IATA ONE Record initiative enables end to end transparency for consignments. As it logs the progress of goods through multiple links in the air-cargo chain from shipper to agent, airline, warehouse and statutory authorities such as customs, using the IATA protocols for APIS.

Additionally, with ONE Record, cargo airlines will be able to access multidimensional data from Cathay Cargo’s next generation Ultra Track solution, like temperature and geolocation, along with data from containers with data transmitters. Director of Digitalisation at Sinotran, Wen Xuan Zang said:

“We are thrilled to be the first cargo forwarder to partner with Cathay in the roll-out of ONE Record for data communication. This innovative approach will revolutionize our operations, enhancing efficiency and transparency in cargo shipment processes. We look forward to setting new industry standards together with Cathay Cargo and providing our customers with an even higher level of service.”

The air cargo industry has a lot of stakeholders, all of who need to see and process cargo and its data before, during and after the transport process. IATA ONE Record is designed to present data and shipment information relevant to stakeholders. Head of Digital Cargo at IATA, Henk Mulder said:

 “All this data is only meaningful when considered together, in the context of one shipment. IATA’s ONE Record data-sharing standard offers an intelligent data infrastructure where data is linked in a vast and decentralized network where stakeholders can access relevant data securely, receiving relevant updates to drive their transport and logistics processes. I am delighted to see this real-world production example of communication between different cargo stakeholders.”

Summary

Thanks to IATA One Record, stakeholders will be able to carry out real-time data exchange. This means all stakeholders, including airlines, freight forwarders, ground handlers, etc. will now be able to make fast decisions about any issues that might arise during processing and transport of goods. Additionally, it provides stakeholders with real-time shipment status.

What do you think of ONE Record? And what are your thoughts on air cargo digitalisation? Share your thoughts in the comments.