Despite the unrest and travel disruptions happening since 28FEB26, IATA’s 19th World Cargo Symposium (WCS) went ahead and made history in MAR26 as the first edition ever held in South America. It welcomed nearly 1,500 delegates to the Lima Convention Center, Peru, from 10-12MAR26, for the usual agenda of networking, panel discussions and fine dining. Hosted by LATAM Cargo under the theme ‘Advancing Air Cargo in a Dynamic World’, the event brought together airlines, forwarders, technology providers, and regulators to chart the industry’s course amid shifting geopolitical and trade dynamics.
IATA again outlined its three strategic priorities for air cargo: accelerating digitalization, strengthening global standards, and enhancing safety and security. Central to the digitalization agenda was ONE Record, which formally became the industry’s preferred data-sharing standard on 01JAN26. While airlines representing over 70% of global air waybill volumes are on track with implementation, IATA’s Global Head of Cargo Brendan Sullivan urged faster progress, noting that fragmented data systems create costly delays and compliance risks – particularly for the booming e-commerce segment.
Key sessions addressed dangerous goods regulation, ULD management, pharma and perishables logistics, live animal transport (with a preview of the LAR Verify compliance tool), and AI-driven cargo operations. A live ONE Record demonstration by Lufthansa Cargo and CHAMP underscored the technology’s real-world viability.
The opening plenary featured IATA Director General Willie Walsh, LATAM Cargo CEO Andres Bianchi, LATAM Airlines CEO Roberto Alvo, Amazon’s Ali Faddis, and Peru’s Trade Minister Teresa Mera Gómez. Walsh highlighted that tariff uncertainty and geopolitical disruption make digital resilience a competitive necessity. Sullivan rounded off the welcome with a nod to South America’s growing cargo significance: “This is the first time WCS is being held in South America and it’s long overdue.”
Next year’s WCS will move north, however, and take place in Canada’s Calgary, from 09-11MAR27.
