Cargo-IMP vs Cargo-XML vs ONE Record
Air cargo has run on three generations of the same data-exchange problem: get shipment information from one partner's system into another's, reliably. Here is how Cargo-IMP, Cargo-XML, and IATA ONE Record compare — and what that means for a carrier that has to speak to partners on all three today.
Last updated · 12 Aug 2026
Three generations of the same job
Cargo-IMP (Cargo Interchange Message Procedures) is where it started. Introduced in 1975, it is a Type B EDI format — terse, fixed-structure text messages exchanged over the industry's Type B networks, designed for an era of expensive, character-limited telecommunications. Each message carries a three-letter Standard Message Identifier — FWB for air waybill data, FFM for the flight manifest, FSU for status updates, and more. The standard is published as Attachment "A" to IATA Resolution 670, and it carried air cargo's electronic communication for the better part of fifty years.
Cargo-XML, introduced in 2010, is the next generation, not a different one. It re-expresses the same Cargo-IMP messages in XML — the messages are prefixed with an "X" (XFWB, XFHL, XFZB, XFSU) and map one-to-one onto the Cargo-IMP originals — lifting the character-set, message-size, and weak-data-typing limits baked into the 1970s design. The underlying model does not change: partners still exchange discrete messages, event by event.
IATA ONE Record is the break from that model rather than an extension of it. Instead of messaging about a shipment, every authorised party works against one shared digital record of that shipment, accessed through a secured web API. The data model is a semantic-web ontology (RDF/OWL) exchanged as JSON-LD, organized around the piece rather than the document. The Cargo Services Conference endorsed ONE Record as the preferred data-sharing standard effective 1 January 2026.
Side by side
| Cargo-IMP | Cargo-XML | ONE Record | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Era | 1975 | 2010 | Preferred since 1 Jan 2026 |
| Data model | Fixed-structure Type B text | Same messages, XML syntax | Shared LogisticsObject (RDF/JSON-LD) |
| Transport | Type B messaging networks | Type B / XML networks | REST web API |
| Security | Network-level (Type B) | Network-level (Type B) | Mutual TLS, OAuth2, OpenID Connect |
| Status | Frozen at ED-34 (2015) | Active, optional | Preferred, voluntary |
| Message example | FWB, FSU | XFWB, XFSU | Waybill & event LogisticsObjects |
What "frozen" actually means
Frozen means Cargo-IMP's 34th edition, effective 1 January 2015, is the final one — IATA confirmed there will be no further changes to Cargo-IMP messages, and that all future messaging development happens in Cargo-XML and ONE Record. It does not mean Cargo-IMP has stopped working or that partners have stopped sending it. Frozen is a statement about the standard's future, not its present: the messages are stable precisely because they will never change again, but the limits baked into a 1970s design — restricted character sets, message-size constraints, weak data typing — will never be fixed either. A large share of the world's forwarders and handlers still send FWB, FFM, and FSU every day, and will for years.
A pragmatic migration path
No carrier gets to pick a single standard and declare victory, because you cannot force your partners to migrate on your timetable. The practical approach is to speak Cargo-IMP fluently while being ready for what's next — Cargo-XML and ONE Record — so no partner is left behind and no migration is forced. That means running all three at once: a cargo system that accepts, acknowledges, and answers the Cargo-IMP messages your partners already send, is Cargo-XML capable, and is ONE Record–native for the partners who have moved. Flaks is built that way — one system, every standard — and Flaks Connect lets you speak all three without a separate integration project for each partner.
Cargo-IMP vs Cargo-XML vs ONE Record: FAQ
Is Cargo-IMP dead?
No, but it is finished. The 34th edition, effective 1 January 2015, is the last and final edition — IATA confirmed there will be no further changes to Cargo-IMP messages. Frozen does not mean gone: a large share of the world's forwarders and handlers still send Cargo-IMP every day, and will for years.
Is Cargo-XML mandatory?
No. Cargo-XML, introduced in 2010, re-expresses the same Cargo-IMP messages in XML — lifting the character-set, size, and data-type limits of the original — but it is an option, not a requirement. Many partners still exchange plain Cargo-IMP, and the industry's strategic direction has since moved past Cargo-XML to ONE Record.
What replaces FWB in ONE Record?
There is no direct message equivalent — that is the point. Instead of sending an FWB (or XFWB) message, the air waybill data lives as part of a shared LogisticsObject that every authorised party reads and updates through a secure API. IATA publishes mappings such as XFWB to help bridge the two models during migration.
Do I have to choose?
No. Cargo-IMP, Cargo-XML, and ONE Record can and do run in parallel. The practical approach is to keep speaking Cargo-IMP fluently with partners who haven't migrated while adopting ONE Record for those who have — no partner is left behind, and no migration is forced.
When is the ONE Record deadline?
There isn't a hard deadline. The Cargo Services Conference endorsed ONE Record as the preferred data-sharing standard effective 1 January 2026 — that makes it IATA's recommended method, not a legal or regulatory mandate. Adoption remains voluntary.