IATA Advances AI Tools to Support Air Cargo and Cargo Handling Operations

IATA is advancing several artificial intelligence initiatives aimed at improving cargo operations, a move that could have ripple effects for ground handlers as the industry looks to speed decision-making, strengthen compliance, and improve coordination across the supply chain.

Announced at the IATA World Cargo Symposium in Lima, the effort includes three key initiatives focused on operational efficiency, safety, and collaboration across the global air cargo sector.

The first is an AI Subject Matter Expert, or AI SME, a mobile and web-based application designed to help operational teams quickly find answers in IATA cargo and safety publications using plain-language questions. The tool is intended to support faster decisions in time-critical environments while also improving compliance and efficiency. It will launch initially for the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations and the IATA Cargo Handling Manual, with broader rollout planned across additional IATA reference publications.

IATA is also launching an Air Cargo AI Excellence Hub, which will bring together airlines, ground handlers, freight forwarders, technology providers, and regulators to support the orderly adoption of AI in cargo operations. The hub will focus on sharing best practices, addressing governance and compliance issues, and helping guide the development of industry standards.

In addition, IATA and its strategic partners are exploring how AI could improve interline cargo operations. The group is studying a use case in which AI agents would help airlines using different IT systems collaborate in real time on bookings, disruptions, and cancellations, with the goal of improving interoperability across platforms.

Brendan Sullivan, IATA’s global head of cargo, said the technology has significant potential to accelerate air cargo’s digital transformation and help the industry develop safer, smarter, and more efficient operations.