AWB stands for air waybill: the non negotiable transport document for air cargo. It is the carrier's receipt and the contract of carriage, and its 11 digit number is used to track the shipment.
AWB stands for air waybill: the document that goes with goods shipped by air. It is issued by the airline or its agent, and it serves as the carrier's receipt for the goods and as evidence of the contract of carriage. Unlike an ocean bill of lading, an air waybill is not a document of title and is not negotiable: the goods are delivered to the consignee named on it.
Every air waybill has an 11 digit number. The first three digits are the airline's prefix (for example 176 for Emirates or 057 for Air France), and the next eight are the serial number. The last digit of the serial is a check digit: the first seven digits of the serial divided by 7 leave a remainder equal to the eighth. You track an air shipment by entering the full AWB number on the airline's or forwarder's website.
Air freight is billed on chargeable weight: the greater of the actual weight and the volumetric weight, usually 6000 cm³ per kg. Work it out before you book with the dimensional weight calculator.
| Master AWB (MAWB) | House AWB (HAWB) | |
|---|---|---|
| Issued by | The airline | The freight forwarder |
| Issued to | The forwarder, for a consolidated load | Each individual shipper in the consolidation |
| Number | 11 digits with airline prefix | The forwarder's own reference |
Air waybills were traditionally printed in a set of copies for the shipper, the carrier and the consignee. The industry now uses the electronic air waybill (e-AWB) by default on most routes, with the data sent electronically and no paper original travelling with the cargo.
Both are transport documents, but a negotiable bill of lading can transfer ownership of goods at sea, while an air waybill cannot. Because air cargo arrives quickly, there is no time to trade a paper title document, so the consignee is simply named and identified. For sales by letter of credit, the bank is often named as consignee on the AWB to keep control of the goods. The commercial invoice and packing list should match the AWB's pieces and weights.
AWB stands for air waybill, the transport document for goods shipped by air.
Eleven. The first three are the airline prefix and the last eight are the serial number, which ends in a check digit.
No. An air waybill is non negotiable. The goods are delivered to the consignee named on it, unlike a negotiable ocean bill of lading.
The master air waybill is issued by the airline to the forwarder for a consolidated load. The house air waybill is issued by the forwarder to each individual shipper.
Enter the 11 digit AWB number on the airline's cargo tracking page, or ask your forwarder to track the house air waybill.