Air Waybill (AWB)

An air waybill (AWB; the "AWB full form" is air waybill) is the document for an international air cargo shipment. Under the Montreal Convention it is prima facie evidence of the conclusion of the contract of carriage, of the airline's acceptance of the cargo and of the conditions of carriage it states (Article 11). Air waybills are shipper-specific and not negotiable: unlike an order bill of lading, an AWB cannot be endorsed to sell the goods in transit.

What the Montreal Convention says

• Article 4: an air waybill is to be delivered for cargo, but any other means that preserves a record of the carriage may replace it, with a cargo receipt for the shipper on request. This is what allows an electronic AWB
• Article 5: it must show the places of departure and destination and the weight of the consignment
• Article 7: a paper AWB is made out by the consignor in three original parts: one for the carrier, one for the consignee and one handed to the consignor once the cargo is accepted
• Article 9: a missing or defective AWB does not invalidate the contract, which stays subject to the Convention, including its limits of liability
• Articles 12 and 13: the shipper can redirect or stop the cargo in transit, and on arrival the consignee is entitled to delivery on paying the charges due

The AWB number

An AWB is identified by an 11-digit number: a 3-digit airline prefix issued by IATA followed by an 8-digit serial number, usually written with a hyphen, such as 123-45678901. CBP's air manifest format uses the same prefix and serial, with a consolidation indicator added for a master AWB that covers house bills. The prefix tells you which airline to track the shipment with: the AWB tracking lookup checks the number, names the airline from its prefix and links the airline's own tracker.

Master AWB and house AWB

When a forwarder consolidates several shippers' cargo, the airline issues one master air waybill (MAWB) to the forwarder, and the forwarder issues a house air waybill (HAWB) to each shipper. A shipment large enough to travel alone can move on its own master AWB.

Electronic air waybill (e-AWB)

IATA's Electronic Air Waybill Resolution 672 removes the requirement for a paper AWB, so the forwarder and the airline exchange the contract data electronically and nothing needs to be printed, handled or archived.

Getting the details right

Statements on the AWB about weight, dimensions, packing and number of packages are prima facie evidence of those facts; statements about quantity, volume and condition count against the airline only if it checked them in the shipper's presence and the AWB says so, or if they concern the cargo's apparent condition (Article 11). Make sure the pieces, weights and dimensions match the packing list, because the airline bills on chargeable weight.

Air waybill vs bill of lading

An ocean bill of lading issued to order is a document of title, and the cargo is released against an original. An air waybill never is, which is why the airline delivers air cargo to the named consignee on arrival without an original being surrendered (customs release is still needed). The ocean document that works the same way is the sea waybill.

Air waybills on Airlift shipments

On air freight booked through Airlift, the house air waybill is prepared in-house from the shipper's letter of instruction, and the commercial invoice and packing list are checked against each other before the cargo is handed to the airline. For exports from the US, Airlift operates as a TSA-regulated Indirect Air Carrier. Size the shipment first with the chargeable weight calculator.