When it comes to airport-to-airport, Cargo iQ is an established industry initiative that sets common quality standards for air cargo. Defined shared milestones as stated in its Master Operating Plan (MOP) enable airlines, freight forwarders, and ground handlers to consistently track shipments and measure performance. Implemented properly, this can highlight where delays and information gaps arise and where improvements may be necessary.
The industry initiative has now expanded its scope. Over a series of workshops together with shippers, last and this month, Cargo iQ and the European Shippers’ Council (ESC) have now put together a new framework, taking the performance monitoring approach wider. It now includes shippers and covers the full journey from door to door. The framework, announced on 20OCT26, sets out business scenarios that clarify who is responsible for what, and it defines milestones for passing on cargo, documents, and data. These support planning, exception management, and performance measurement. The framework will be reviewed with a wider audience in the coming months before being built into the Master Operating Plan. The aim is to make sure that performance measures reflect what cargo owners actually need. Cargo iQ stresses that visibility is a means to better decisions and actions rather than an end in itself. Both organizations will keep working to cover different commodity needs, drawing on initiatives such as ONE Record and care protocols.
Marie Seco-Köppen, Executive Director, Cargo iQ, underlined: “Involving shippers more closely in Cargo iQ was long overdue. It is essential to align on expectations and agree on common principles to ensure our performance standard evolves to become valuable for a broader audience.”
Godfried Smit, Secretary General, European Shippers’ Council, concluded: “This workshop marks an important step towards strengthening collaboration across the air cargo ecosystem, bringing together carriers, freight forwarders, ground handlers, and shippers. In today’s highly dynamic air freight market, ensuring that goods reach their destinations efficiently and cost-effectively is essential. Supply chain visibility is a critical enabler of that ambition. The Cargo iQ initiative plays a key role in establishing a strong benchmark for transparency, efficiency, and seamless collaboration across the industry. By building on the momentum of this workshop and turning our shared commitment into lasting cooperation, we can create a powerful, collaborative model that delivers sustainable value and a competitive advantage for all stakeholders.”
*People in the photo are: Jean Michel Garcia, A.U.T.F. Association des Utilisateurs de Transport de Fret, Katsiaryna Kliuyeva, ESC, Martin Skopp, Riege Software, Rinaldo Vels, Wholesale by Vels, Paul Glaser, Cargomind, Claus Schaeffer, Kuehne and Nagel, Marie Seco-Koeppen, Cargo iQ, Christian Meyer, DHL Global Forwarding, Jeanne Mari Reardon, Crane Worldwide, Rutger-Jan Pegels, AirFrance KLM Martinair Cargo, Scipio Bredius, ASML, Franco Nanna, Cargolux Airlines, Markus Schweitzer, Im3pact
