Custom air cargo software development

Air cargo software supports the handling of freight across the air cargo chain: from booking and the air waybill (AWB), through acceptance, build-up on ULDs and the flight, to breakdown, customs clearance and delivery. The software works with the IATA standards this chain uses, such as the electronic air waybill (e-AWB) under Resolution 672, Cargo-XML messages and the newer ONE Record. Custom software lets you set this up the way your own operation runs, rather than forcing your process into an off-the-shelf package. Air cargo also differs fundamentally from road transport or warehouse logistics because of flight planning, the ULD cycle and strict security and customs requirements.

ONE Record is the IATA data standard that keeps a shared digital record for each shipment, which all authorised parties read and update via a REST API, instead of sending separate messages back and forth. Since 1 January 2026, ONE Record has been the preferred method for data sharing in the sector. For your systems, this means an API-based integration layer is needed alongside the existing e-AWB and Cargo-XML flows. We build that layer so your current message traffic keeps working and ONE Record is introduced step by step alongside it, without you having to replace everything at once.

We build custom software. An air cargo handler at Schiphol works differently from a freight forwarder or a GSA, and each party has its own arrangements with carriers, ground handlers and customs. Custom software fits your actual process and can grow with you as standards or regulations change, such as the move to ONE Record. After an intake meeting, we agree together which functionality matters most and in what order we develop it, without promising a fixed timeline or price that we cannot yet substantiate.

For watertight handling, integrations are needed with the cargo community and with customs. At Schiphol, data exchange between supply chain partners and customs runs via the Port Community System of Cargonaut, which Royal Schiphol Group operates in-house. On the import side, the EU customs Import Control System 2 (ICS2) is relevant, where the required security data for a shipment is submitted in advance as an Entry Summary Declaration (ENS). We build these integrations on e-AWB, Cargo-XML and ONE Record, with the right validations and logging.

Air cargo falls under the security requirements of EU Regulation 300/2008. Shipments are only secure for the flight if they come from a known consignor or regulated agent, or have otherwise been screened. The Royal Netherlands Marechaussee supervises this and manages the designations. Software supports this by recording the security status of each shipment, checking whether a party in the chain holds a valid designation, and demonstrably recording the screening and acceptance steps. This keeps you in control of the secure supply chain and lets you trace the status of every shipment.

Yes. We regularly take over existing applications, even those built by another party. We review the architecture, the integrations with carriers, handlers and customs, the message traffic and the security, document the setup and propose improvements. From that point we can handle changes, new integrations such as ONE Record and monitoring, or modernise step by step towards a maintainable situation.

We build for parties in the air cargo chain: air freight forwarders and ground handlers, freight forwarders and logistics providers, airlines and their general sales agents, and logistics service providers around an airport hub such as Schiphol. The software supports both the operational handling on the ground and the administrative and compliance side towards carriers, customs and regulators.