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MONTREAL - The air cargo industry is witnessing significant developments in pre-loading risk assessments, with the expansion of various Pre-Loading Advance Cargo Information (PLACI) regimes. Following the 2018 launch of the United States Air Cargo Advance Screening (ACAS), and European Union ICS2 program last year, other regions are now adopting similar measures. These initiatives aim to deliver initial data-based risk assessments, to identify/mitigate high-risk air cargo shipments that may conceal improvised explosive devices before loading onto an aircraft departing to the PLACI implementing country.
Impact of PLACI regimes
By 2025, PLACI regimes will impact 35% of air cargo shipments globally. The impact on industry is significant, requiring substantial investments from airlines and their partners (ground-handlers, freight forwarders/shippers, etc.) to comply with the new requirements. Key compliance measures include:
Availability of new data: establishing new business processes among carriers, freight forwarders, and shippers to collect and transmit necessary data
Support new data: Updating Cargo Management and Operational Systems to accommodate the new data requirements
Transmission of new data: enhancing customs filing solutions to ensure the effective transmission of this data.
Receiving new customs status responses: implementing systems and procedures to manage customs responses and trigger appropriate actions.
Additionally, quality control and compliance procedures must be established to ensure all shipments meet PLACI requirements throughout their journey.
Failure to adhere to these new security directives can lead to severe repercussions, including sanctions on carriers, declaration rejection, manual interventions, delayed or refused customs clearance, denial of uplift, and even license suspension. All supply chain partners must ensure full compliance While air carriers are often deemed the ultimate responsible party, the consequences of non-compliance affect the entire air cargo supply chain, leading to delays, increased costs, and heightened scrutiny.
PLACI in the United Arab Emirates
In the UAE, the Federal Decree Law No 22 of 2018 and Resolution No 15 of 2019 established the legal framework for the PLACI program, applicable to all air cargo crossing UAE borders. IATA and its members have played a pivotal role in developing the UAE PLACI Program Implementation Guide and supporting pilot deployments.
Since July, the UAE National Advance Information Center expects air carriers to:
provide the required data (based on master/house waybill and cargo manifest information) as early as possible before loading at the last airport of departure outside the UAE
use one of the supported channels described in the UAE PLACI Air Implementation Guide (direct Integration, use of a third-party service provider or use of the NAIC Portal)
manage risk assessment outcomes (“referrals”) prior to shipment loading.
The UAE is currently implementing an “informed compliance” (i.e. grace) period anticipated to last until the second quarter of 2025.
PLACI in Canada (PACT)
On 11 October 11, 2024, the final regulations amending the Canadian Aviation Security Regulations, 2012 (Air Cargo) were approved, mandating the Pre-load Air Cargo Targeting (PACT) program. These requirements will take effect on 1 April 2025. Here also, IATA has played an important role in drafting the PACT Technical Guidance and supporting its pilot deployment.
Similar to the UAE, Transport Canada is currently implementing an “informed compliance” period. During this phase, air carriers are expected to:
submit the required PACT data elements and respond to any applicable mitigation measures
provide in addition Flight Manifest (FFM) messages, with all PACT participants required to complete FFM testing prior to the program's definitive enforcement.
PACT participants will not face penalties for transporting cargo without receiving an acknowledgment message, including during system outages. Furthermore, they may not consistently receive assessment completion messages for their shipments until closer to the implementation date, due to ongoing adjustments in the system and targeting capacity as more air carriers are onboarded.
Air carriers not yet connected to PACT need to develop urgently an implementation plan. If you need to reach out to reach out to Transport Canada for that purpose, IATA can help: contact us.
PLACI in the United States (ACAS)
The Air Cargo Advance Screening (ACAS) program was launched in 2018 and has been in effect since 2019. In August 2024, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued a revised ACAS Implementation Guide, adding new data elements to the pre-loading filing requirements. To assist the industry in adapting to these changes, IATA has developed specific guidelines on how to provide the additional data requirements, available in the IATA Cargo-XML Toolkit. These new ACAS requirements are expected to become an official legal mandate soon, a development that IATA will closely monitor.
Conclusion
If your air cargo shipment is traveling to or through Canada, the European Union (including Norway and Switzerland), the United Arab Emirates, or the United States, compliance with the applicable PLACI regimes is essential. Non-compliance with PLACI requirements can have immediate repercussions on trade flow and may create security vulnerabilities.
Compliance is mandatory in the EU and the U.S., and requirements will also be enforced in Canada and UAE by Q2 2025. A key challenge for the industry will be to navigate multiple PLACI initiatives while maintaining the speed and efficiency of cargo flow.
IATA's role is crucial, as it is the only organization capable of developing comprehensive international standard business processes for the efficient, harmonized, and standardized implementation of PLACI standards. IATA supports the air cargo industry in these PLACI endeavors through advocacy, standard setting, and the provision of practical tools supporting compliance. Stakeholders may find the following resources particularly useful:
IATA PLACI Manual: this manual includes standard business processes, an overview of existing PLACI programs, and technical guidance for the UAE and Canada, along with lessons learned from IATA's international workshops on PLACI.
IATA Cargo-XML Manual and Toolkit: this toolkit provides the standard messages necessary for required data transmission.
IATA PLACI Training: recommended for individuals or teams involved in compliance across operations security, global logistics, customs, trade facilitation, quality improvement, digital cargo, automation, e-commerce, and data management.
IATA EPIC: a global web portal that streamlines connectivity with air cargo supply chain partners, allowing users to find, request, and connect with multiple parties effortlessly.
For more information on PLACI, visit the IATA Knowledge Hub.
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