# Air Freight Shipment Tracking

*Last updated: 2026-06-16*

> Air freight shipment tracking gives shippers, consignees, and forwarders continuous status visibility over a cargo movement, using the air waybill (AWB) number as the unique identifier.

Air freight shipment tracking gives shippers, consignees, and forwarders continuous status visibility over a cargo movement, using the air waybill (AWB) number as the unique identifier. Airlines report key milestones – acceptance, departure, arrival, delivery – through standardized IATA Cargo-IMP messages such as FSU, which feed carrier portals, EDI systems, and TMS platforms. This visibility enables early detection of delays, timely initiation of customs clearance, and effective coordination of last-mile delivery. Unlike GPS-based parcel tracking in e-commerce, air freight tracking is event-driven: a status update is generated when a defined handling step is completed at an airport station, not on a continuous basis.

**Source:** [https://www.iata.org/en/programs/cargo/e/](https://www.iata.org/en/programs/cargo/e/)

## Quick Facts

| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Term | Air Freight Shipment Tracking |
| Language | EN |
| Word count | 103 |
| Last updated | 2026-06-16 |
| Source | https://www.iata.org/en/programs/cargo/e/ |

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