Cathay Cargo has become the first carrier to adopt the International Air Transport Association’s ONE Record data protocol in some of its day-to-day operations with forwarders. This achievement is one year ahead of IATA’s target date for ONE Record implementation, which is scheduled for January 2026.

In December 2024, three freight forwarders on the Chinese Mainland – Sinotrans Air Freight, WECAN International Freight Forwarding International Logistics and ALL-LINK Logistics – started exchanging electronic air waybill and shipment status information with Cathay Cargo using an application programme interface (API) designed to ONE Record data protocols.

In January 2025, Sinotrans Hong Kong Air Transportation Development became the first Hong Kong forwarder to submit eAWB information and is now able to review shipment information from Cathay Cargo using ONE Record data protocols. Cathay Director Cargo 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.”

IATA Head of Digital Cargo 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 decentralised 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.”