Known Consignor Status and Cargo Security Screening
Cargo from a Known Consignor can move onto a passenger aircraft without additional piece-level screening at the airport — provided the chain of custody holds.
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Known Consignor, Account Consignor
Transport Canada
Program authority
PLACI
Pre-Loading Advance Cargo Information, separate regime
Chain of custody
The condition Known Consignor status depends on
Two distinct Canadian regimes, often confused
Transport Canada's Air Cargo Security Program lets Canadian shippers apply for Known Consignor or Account Consignor status. Cargo originated by a Known Consignor can be treated as secure and loaded onto an aircraft (including passenger aircraft) without additional piece-level screening at the airport, provided the chain of custody from the consignor's premises to the aircraft is maintained and documented.
This is a distinct regime from the Pre-Load Air Cargo Targeting (PACT) program and its Pre-Loading Advance Cargo Information (PLACI) requirement, which requires air carriers bringing cargo into Canada from abroad to submit shipment data to Transport Canada before the cargo is loaded, for risk-based screening purposes. Known Consignor status addresses domestic Canadian screening obligations; PLACI addresses inbound international cargo targeting — a shipment can be subject to one, both, or neither depending on its specific origin and routing.
We deliberately aren't using an acronym we couldn't independently verify against Transport Canada's own published program materials for this specific regime — if you've encountered a different term for this in your own research, confirm it against Transport Canada's Air Cargo Security Program page directly rather than assuming it's a synonym for what's described here.
Transport Canada Program
Known Consignor status depends on a maintained chain of custody, not a one-time certification event
If the chain of custody from consignor to aircraft is broken at any point, the security benefit of Known Consignor status doesn't carry through for that specific shipment — it may then require the same screening as cargo from a non-certified shipper.
Source: Transport Canada, Air Cargo Security Program (Canadian Aviation Security Regulations, 2012); Pre-Load Air Cargo Targeting (PACT) program materials. Last verified July 2026.
Worked example
How this affects a shipment on this corridor
Take an outbound Canadian shipper originating cargo domestically for onward air carriage — the Known Consignor question applies to them, not to an ASEAN/South Asia origin shipper sending cargo to Canada.
For inbound cargo arriving in Canada from ASEAN or South Asia, the relevant Transport Canada regime is PACT/PLACI — the carrier bringing the cargo into Canada is responsible for submitting the required pre-loading data, not the originating shipper's domestic security status in their own country.
UAL coordinates with carriers to confirm PLACI data is submitted correctly for inbound shipments, and separately advises Canadian-based shippers on Known Consignor eligibility where it's relevant to their own outbound domestic shipping.
What UAL coordinates
For inbound shipments, we confirm the carrier has submitted required PLACI data ahead of loading. For Canadian shippers considering Known Consignor status for outbound domestic shipments, we can point you to Transport Canada's application process, though certification itself is between the shipper and Transport Canada.
Frequently asked questions
No — it's a Transport Canada program for Canadian-based shippers under the Canadian Aviation Security Regulations. A shipment originating in Vietnam or India is instead subject to that country's own air cargo security regime plus Canada's PACT/PLACI targeting on the inbound side.
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Source: Transport Canada, Air Cargo Security Program; Canadian Aviation Security Regulations, 2012; Pre-Load Air Cargo Targeting (PACT) program. Last verified July 2026.
Air Cargo Security
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