Hong Kong. 13 March 2024. Worldwide Flight Services (WFS), a member of the SATS Group, Cathay Cargo, and CHAMP Cargosystems will go live with a joint use case of IATA’s ONE Record digital data-sharing standard to help drive a ‘step-change’ in air cargo industry efficiency, transparency, and collaboration.
IATA’s goal is for airlines and their supply chain stakeholders to have implemented ONE Record capability by 1 January 2026 as part of the Association’s phased digitalisation programme for air cargo transportation. 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.
The use case launch will see Cathay Cargo send shipment booking data 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 that is shared via standardized and secured web API. The standard is based on mature but progressive data sharing technologies that are well aligned with the best practices used by leading airlines. This makes it directly accessible to IT teams and service providers.
Through this collaboration, initially for shipments between Paris CDG and Hong Kong, WFS, Cathay and CHAMP will establish a new way of exchanging data. 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 operational decisions which enhance operational excellence and benefits for all partners.
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 handling services for Cathay Cargo in Belgium, France, Spain and the United Kingdom as well as in four major airport stations in North America – Boston, Houston, Los Angeles and Miami – and in Bengaluru, India. WFS handles over 95,000 tonnes per annum for the airline globally.
“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 the air cargo ecosystem,” said Pedro Garcia, Chief Information Officer, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia (EMEAA) at WFS.
Chris McDermott, CHAMP CEO, said: “It has been our privilege to work alongside Cathay Cargo and Worldwide Flight Services to bring this ONE Record use case into production. 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.”
Tom Owen, Cathay Director Cargo, said: “We are extremely proud of the work we’ve done alongside CHAMP and WFS to embrace ONE Record, starting with this important and significant use case. We look forward to benefitting from ONE Record’s capabilities and continuing to work with both CHAMP and WFS on this initiative.”
