- Air cargo is moving from document-based processes to standardized, data-centric systems, with the ONE registry emerging as an essential infrastructure for real-time interoperability, regulatory compliance and end-to-end visibility.
- Stakeholders across airlines, technology providers and cargo owners view standardized data frameworks as essential for operational accuracy, sustainability reporting, automation and risk mitigation in complex, multi-party supply chains.
- Industry consensus is shaping up around harmonized digital adoption, with ONE Record positioned to enable integrated ecosystems, predictive capabilities and a more flexible, transparent and competitive air logistics environment.
Air freight is entering a pivotal phase in its digital evolution as the industry moves from document-driven processes to data-centric and interoperable systems. At the heart of this transformation is ONE Record, a data model developed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) designed to enable the exchange of standardized, real-time information across the global logistics chain. Their increasing adoption reflects a broader strategic imperative to create an operating environment in which efficiency, transparency and regulatory compliance are not based on paperwork, but rather on integrated digital ecosystems.
This shift is being accelerated by tightening international regulatory frameworks, increasing expectations about data accuracy – particularly in the context of EU sustainability reporting – and increasing demand for supply chain predictability. For air transport and trade policy stakeholders, ONE Record is increasingly viewed not simply as a technology enhancement, but as an enabling infrastructure for the next generation of trade facilitation.
A structural reassessment of digital communication
For airlines, adopting a single record represents a crucial step away from legacy systems that operate largely in silos. This technology delivers what telecommunications companies have long sought: a unified digital foundation capable of reducing duplication, reducing the prevalence of errors, and ensuring that all stakeholders have access to a consistent data set.
As Halit Tuncer, vice president of cargo sales for the Middle East, Africa and South Asia at Turkish Airlines, points out, the transformation extends beyond transaction efficiency. “We don’t digitize documents; we digitize relationships. A single record enables us to move from siled systems to a unified data environment. This is where true efficiency begins.”
Tunger stressed that early integration efforts have already delivered operational gains, especially in activities where accuracy and speed are business imperatives such as pharmaceutical and perishable material handling and time-critical e-commerce flows. Telecommunications companies increasingly realize that improving data connectivity is key to competitiveness.
Transparency is driven by regulatory and market forces
European carriers, operating within some of the most advanced sustainability and reporting frameworks in the world, view digital transformation through the dual lens of compliance and business value. Anna Maria Kirchner, Head of Global Sales, Marketing, Products and Sustainability at Finnair Cargo, underscored the shift in customer expectations.
“Our customers are increasingly comparing us in terms of digital readiness. Sharing real-time data is no longer an innovation, but an operational requirement that impacts booking decisions,” Kirchner noted.
She stressed that regulatory scrutiny in the EU – particularly regarding emissions reporting and supply chain transparency – increases the need for reliable data structures. “Data integrity is essential for credible sustainability reporting. The ONE Registry provides a strong enough foundation to support that accountability.”
This is consistent with an increasing policy focus on accurate disclosure of Scope 3 emissions and life cycle analysis, with both airlines and shipping companies facing increasing pressure to provide verifiable data.
Interoperability as a cornerstone of digital transformation
Technology providers argue that the sector’s digital challenges stem less from a lack of solutions and more from fragmented adoption. Kunal Maheshwari, Chief Growth Officer, Softlink Global, emphasized the importance of seamless cross-platform connectivity. “The real challenge facing the industry is not a lack of technology, it is fragmentation. A single record allows multiple stakeholders to speak the same digital language, reducing delays, manual handoffs and cost leakage.”
Maheshwari noted that the next generation of automation — including AI-powered forecasting, intelligent capacity planning and advanced exception management — relies heavily on formatted data structures. Without industry-wide alignment, digital initiatives risk becoming isolated islands of efficiency rather than systemic solutions.
Cargo owners prioritize predictability and compliance
From a shipper’s perspective, the value of digital standardization is measured by operational continuity and risk mitigation. Srinivas Rao Nandigam, global head of supply chain at Sun Pharma, stressed the high risks in pharmaceutical logistics. “Temperature anomalies, route outages, or documentation delays can cost millions. Digitization allows us to respond faster, but ONE Record gives us confidence that data is consistent across all partners.”
As pharmaceutical supply chains are increasingly shaped by multilateral cross-border coordination, standardized data protocols are becoming essential to maintaining quality assurance, complying with good distribution practice standards and minimizing disruption.
In the apparel and lifestyle sector, the pressures are different but equally acute. R. pointed out. Sampath Raghavan, Head of Export, Import and Logistics at Raymond Lifestyle (Apparel Division), pointed out the fragility of fashion supply chains. “Fashion logistics operates on steep delivery cycles. One missing document can delay the entire production process. Digitization provides speed, but standards like ONE Record provide reliability.”
He added that exporters – especially those serving Europe and North America – face increasing expectations for visibility and predictability from buyers who are increasingly incorporating logistics performance into purchasing decisions.
From fragmented digital efforts to integrated ecosystems
The strategic value of ONE Record lies not only in its technical architecture, but also in the behavioral and organizational change it enables. Industry leaders widely agree that digital transformation requires coordinated adoption to achieve measurable results.
Yashpal Sharma, Managing Director, Skyways Group, emphasized this point. “Digital transformation is a behavioral change. When all stakeholders realize the mutual benefit of sharing data, the system becomes dramatically more efficient.”
The resulting network effects could eventually support fully digital corridors, automated compliance checks, and predictive operational modeling – advances that remain difficult to achieve with fragmented operations.
Strategic Path: Air Cargo in a Data-Centric Business Environment
The industry’s shift from paper-based processes to digital platforms is accelerating under the combined influence of commercial incentives and regulatory necessity. ONE Record has emerged as a critical enabler of this transformation, providing an architectural backbone capable of supporting more transparent and flexible trade flows.
Although challenges remain – particularly around implementation costs, regional disparities in digital readiness and the need to improve workforce skills – the path is well established. Stakeholders increasingly view data standardization as a prerequisite for future competitiveness rather than incremental improvement.
Kirchner captured this forward-looking perspective by noting that “we’re not just digitizing air freight. We’re redefining how global supply chains work.”
As global trade policy evolves and supply chains seek greater resilience amid geopolitical and market volatility, the ability to exchange accurate, real-time data is quickly becoming a requirement. In this environment, ONE Record positions air freight not just as a participant in digital transformation, but as a driver of it.
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