Cargo-XML: The IATA Air Cargo Messaging Standard Explained

*Cargo-XML is the International Air Transport Association (IATA) standard for electronic messaging related to air cargo. It defines, in XML format, the messages exchanged between airlines, freight forwarders, ground handling agents, shippers, customs, and security authorities: air waybill (XFWB), house waybill (XFZB), flight manifest (XFFM), status reports (XFSU), etc. It succeeded Cargo-IMP, which was frozen as of January 1, 2015. It is not a legal requirement but an industry standard, and as of January 1, 2026, it coexists with its successor designated by IATA: ONE Record

If you work in air freight, you’ve surely come across these acronyms in a set of specifications or in communication with an airline: FWB, XFWB, FHL, e-AWB, e-CSD. This article sets the record straight: what Cargo-XML is, how it differs from Cargo-IMP, the list of messages, what’s mandatory and what isn’t, and what ONE Record changes.

What is Cargo-XML?

Cargo-XML is a set of standardized electronic messages published by IATA in the Cargo-XML Toolkit (14th edition, 2026). Each message corresponds to a stage or document in the air cargo transport process: booking, air waybill, groupage manifest, flight manifest, status tracking, dangerous goods declaration, etc.

Its main features:

• XML format, with schemas (XSD) that allow messages to be automatically validated before sending.
• Based on the UN/CEFACT Core Component Library and compatible with the World Customs Organization (WCO) Data Model. The same data can therefore be used for both transportation and customs formalities.
• End-to-end coverage of the supply chain, not just from airport to airport like its predecessor.
• Transmission via the Internet, without relying on legacy private airmail networks.

IATA describes Cargo-XML as "the preferred standard for electronic communication between airlines and other air cargo stakeholders."

What is Cargo-XML used for?

1. Digitizing shipping documents: The electronic air waybill (e-AWB) is based on the XFWB message (or its Cargo-IMP equivalent, the FWB).
2. Complying with customs requirements for advancecargo information (ACI): Authorities are increasingly requiring shipment data prior to loading or arrival, such as the European ICS2 system for air cargo, effective March 1, 2023.
3. Comply with security rules: The electronic Consignment Security Declaration(e-CSD) is transmitted in Cargo-XML messages. The 14th edition of the Toolkit has updated the corresponding rules to facilitate their adoption.
4. Automate data exchange between systems (TMS, airline systems, ground handling platforms, customs systems) without the need for re-entry.

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Cargo-IMP: the old standard, on hold since 2015

Cargo-IMP (Cargo Interchange Message Procedures) is the IATA’s long-standing standard. Its text-based messages use three-letter codes that are well known to operations personnel: FWB (air waybill), FHL ( house list), FFM (flight manifest), FSU (status), FFR (reservation), etc.

At the industry’s request, the IATA Cargo Services Conference froze Cargo-IMP as of January 1, 2015. The 34th edition of the Cargo-IMP manual is the last one. Specifically:

• Cargo-IMP can still be used, and it is still widely used;
• All changes are made exclusively in Cargo-XML: new regulatory or business requirements will never be added to Cargo-IMP.

That is why we refer to it as the “new standard” even though Cargo-XML has been around since 2012–2014: the transition is gradual, and many stakeholders are still handling both formats in parallel, often using converters.

Cargo-IMP vs. Cargo-XML: The Differences

Source: IATA, “IMP vs. XML Differences” comparison and Cargo-XML white paper (2015).

Important note: Conversion between the two formats is common, but IATA reminds users that it may result in data loss, since Cargo-XML supports information that Cargo-IMP cannot handle.

Key Cargo-XML Messages

IATA classifies messages into two categories: transport messages and commercial messages.

Source: IATA, Cargo-XML message list. The Cargo-IMP equivalents are functional: the two formats do not contain exactly the same data.

Commercial messages are often overlooked: Cargo-XML allows you to transmit invoices or packing lists as data, not just shipping documents.

Is Cargo-XML required?

No, in the legal sense. Cargo-XML is an industry standard, not a regulation. There is no law requiring that an FWB be replaced with an XFWB.

In practice, there are three things that make it difficult to avoid:

• Partners: An airline or ground handling agent may require Cargo-XML as part of its data exchange terms and conditions.
• What's New: All data added since 2015 (new regulatory fields, e-CSD, security information) is available only in Cargo-XML.
• Customs: Several agencies have adopted Cargo-XML (the U.S. CBP has accepted it, and IATA has integrated it into ASYCUDA World, the UNCTAD customs system used by many countries). For the European ICS2, air cargo data must be submitted in the formats defined by the European Union, which the systems populate using data from the air waybill and house bills.

Finally, according to IATA, the electronic air waybill (e-AWB) has been the default contract of carriage since January 1, 2019, on routes where it is enabled. It relies on an FWB or XFWB message: without reliable electronic data, there is no e-AWB.

Cargo-XML and ONE Record: What's Next?

ONE Record is the standard that IATA has designated as the preferred standard for air cargo data sharing effective January 1, 2026. It represents a shift in approach:

ONE Record does not render Cargo-XML obsolete overnight. IATA publishes mapping rules between Cargo-XML and ONE Record (production-ready for XFWB, XFZB, XFHL, and XFSU), and Toolkit 2026 includes a section dedicated to migration. The two formats will coexist for several years, just as Cargo-IMP and Cargo-XML have coexisted since 2015.

According to an IATA survey published in December 2025, about seven out of ten industry players are familiar with ONE Record, and nearly half say they are ready.

Key Takeaways for Freight Forwarders and Shippers

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The Role of Docloop

Cargo-XML, Cargo-IMP, or ONE Record: the message simply carries data. And that data very often comes from documents: commercial invoices, packing lists, shipper’s instructions, dangerous goods declarations, and bills of lading.

Docloop automatically extracts data from these documents, organizes it, and verifies that the information is consistent across all documents before feeding it into your TMS and your XFWB or XFZB messages: identical weights and number of packages on the invoice, packing list, and bill of lading; consistent descriptions of goods; and missing items flagged. This is the principle of document reconciliation, which is also detailed in our article on inconsistencies between invoices, packing lists, and bills of lading.

To learn more about the digitization of transportation:

• in the maritime sector, eBL, and FIATA's vision;
• for road, rail, inland waterway, and air transport, the European eFTI regulation;
• On the French customs side, the changes introduced by DELTA IE.