Cargo-XML
Cargo-XML is IATA's modern, XML-based messaging standard for exchanging air cargo information between airlines, freight forwarders, ground handlers and customs authorities. It is the successor to the legacy fixed-format Cargo-IMP standard, offering richer data, better validation and alignment with the WCO (World Customs Organization) data model.
Each Cargo-IMP message has a Cargo-XML equivalent, prefixed with X: XFWB (master air waybill), XFHL (house manifest), XFFM (flight manifest) and XFSU (status update). Cargo-XML is also a stepping stone toward IATA ONE Record, the data-sharing model that treats each shipment as a single, connected digital record rather than a chain of separate messages.
Cargo-XML is where air-cargo messaging is heading. It carries more data than Cargo-IMP, validates against a schema so bad messages are caught early, and lines up with customs data models and IATA ONE Record — which is why air systems must speak it (alongside legacy Cargo-IMP) through the transition.
How is Cargo-XML different from Cargo-IMP?
Cargo-XML is XML-based with schema validation and richer data, aligned with the WCO data model; Cargo-IMP is the legacy fixed-format text standard it replaces.
What is IATA ONE Record?
An IATA data-sharing model that represents each shipment as a single connected digital record rather than a chain of separate messages — Cargo-XML is a step toward it.