Air cargo tracking
Cathay Cargo tracking by AWB number
To track a shipment on Cathay Cargo, enter its 11-digit air waybill number on Cathay Cargo's official tracking page. Cathay Cargo AWB numbers start with 160, followed by an eight-digit serial, for example 160-12345675.
- AWB prefix
- 160
- Airline code
- CX
- Main hub
- Hong Kong International (HKG)
Step by step
How to track a shipment on Cathay Cargo
Use the master air waybill number on Cathay Cargo's own tracking page. The status you see there comes straight from the airline.
- Find the AWB number. It is on the air waybill and the booking confirmation, and starts with 160. A reference with letters in it may be a forwarder's house AWB, which the airline can't track; ask the forwarder for the master AWB.
- Check the digits. Type it in the box above. It confirms the airline and runs the check-digit test, which catches most typing mistakes.
- Open the airline's tracker. Cathay Cargo's Track and Trace page fills in 160 as the airline code. You can track up to five AWBs at once, separated by commas, with or without the prefix. No login is needed.
AWB number format
- Prefix
- 160
- Serial
- 8 digits, the last one a check digit
- Written as
- 160-12345675
- Check digit
- First 7 serial digits ÷ 7, remainder. In 160-12345675: 1,234,567 ÷ 7 leaves 5.
160-12345675 is a made-up number in the right format, not a real shipment.
India–USA shipments
Tracking Cathay Cargo shipments between India and the USA
Cathay Cargo runs its network through Hong Kong, so cargo from India to the US on Cathay usually connects there.
What to watch for
- Master vs house AWB. If a forwarder consolidated your cargo, the airline only knows the master AWB. Your house AWB number won't show on Cathay Cargo's tracker.
- Connecting legs. Each flight shows its own departure (DEP) and arrival (RCF). A transfer (TFD) means another airline took over, and the later legs may only show on that airline's tracker.
- Arrival is not customs release. NFD means the cargo is at the US airport and the consignee has been told. The import still needs a US customs entry, usually filed by a licensed customs broker, before the cargo can leave the airport.
- Indian export clearance comes first. Air cargo leaving India must be cleared by Indian Customs against a shipping bill before it flies. The airline's tracker shows flight milestones, not the export clearance.
Shipping by air between India and the USA?
Status codes
What Cathay Cargo tracking statuses mean
Airline trackers use the same standard status codes. These are the ones you are most likely to see.
| Code | Status | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| BKD | Booked | Space is booked on a named flight. The booking can still change before the airline accepts the cargo. |
| RCS | Received from shipper | The airline or its ground handler has taken the cargo from the shipper or forwarder and accepted it for carriage. |
| MAN | Manifested | The shipment is listed on the cargo manifest of a specific flight. |
| DEP | Departed | The flight carrying the shipment has left. A connecting routing shows one departure per leg. |
| TFD | Transferred | The shipment was handed to another airline for the next leg; that airline's tracker may show the rest of the journey. |
| RCT | Received from another airline | The shipment was taken over from another airline for the next leg. |
| RCF | Received from flight | The shipment was unloaded and checked into the warehouse, either at a transit hub or at destination. |
| NFD | Consignee notified | The shipment has arrived at destination and the consignee, or its agent, has been told. |
| AWD | Documents delivered | The arrival documents were handed to the consignee or its agent. |
| CCD | Cleared by customs | Customs has released the shipment. |
| DLV | Delivered | The airline released the shipment to the consignee or its agent. For a consolidation, that is usually the forwarder's agent at destination. |
| DIS | Discrepancy | Something does not match, such as missing or extra pieces, damage or missing documents. The handler records the details. |
Code meanings follow the industry's standard status messages. Source: Cargo Community Network: FSU status codes.
Questions
Cathay Cargo tracking: FAQs
How do I track a shipment on Cathay Cargo?
Use Cathay Cargo's own tracking page with the 11-digit air waybill number. Cathay Cargo's Track and Trace page fills in 160 as the airline code. You can track up to five AWBs at once, separated by commas, with or without the prefix. No login is needed. The airline's link does not carry the number, so the lookup on this page checks it and shows it ready to copy and paste.
What is the Cathay Cargo AWB prefix?
160. It is the first three digits of the 11-digit AWB number, so a Cathay Cargo air waybill reads 160- followed by eight digits. It is not the same as the two-character airline code (CX) used on flight numbers.
How can I tell if a Cathay Cargo AWB number is valid?
It should have 11 digits: the prefix (160) and an eight-digit serial. The last digit is a check digit: the first seven digits of the serial, divided by 7, must leave it as the remainder. In 160-12345675, 1,234,567 divided by 7 leaves 5. The lookup on this page runs the check and catches most typing mistakes.
How does a Cathay Cargo shipment from India to the USA show on the tracker?
Cathay Cargo runs its network through Hong Kong, so cargo from India to the US on Cathay usually connects there. Each flight leg normally has its own departure (DEP) and arrival (RCF) update, and NFD shows once the cargo has arrived at destination and the consignee has been told.
Why doesn't my Cathay Cargo AWB show a result?
First check the prefix. A number that doesn't start with 160 was issued by another airline, even if Cathay Cargo flies part of the route, so track it with that airline. A house AWB from a forwarder is not in the airline's system; ask for the master AWB. A new booking may not show until the airline has received the cargo.
Can Atmavaan track my Cathay Cargo shipment?
Atmavaan does not run its own airline tracking. If Atmavaan booked your air freight on Cathay Cargo, your Atmavaan contact has the flight milestones and can arrange US customs clearance and delivery from the airport. For an AWB booked by someone else, use Cathay Cargo's tracker or ask whoever booked it.
Track another airline
Sources
Prefix, tracker and network details checked on 2026-10-06. Airlines change their sites; if a link has moved, start from the airline's cargo home page.
Need air freight between India and the USA?
Send the route, cargo and weight, and an Atmavaan specialist will quote it, including US customs clearance and delivery.
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