Air Waybill
An air waybill (AWB) is a required legal document that accompanies international air cargo. It serves as a receipt of goods, a carriage contract between carrier and shipper, and a tracking document.
What Does an Air Waybill Include?
Sometimes referred to as air consignment notes, AWBs:
- Are a type of bill of lading
- Contain detailed information about the cargo, route, shipper, and consignee
- Become legally enforceable once the shipper and carrier sign the document
Other information included in AWBs:
- Three-letter origin and destination airport codes
- Any special instructions
- The carrier’s terms and conditions
Unlike a typical ocean bill of lading, AWBs are nonnegotiable, meaning they don’t cover the value of merchandise/cargo. Being non-negotiable contracts, AWBs also don’t specify which flight shipments will be transported on or their arrival dates.
There are two types of air waybills, which are designed and distributed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). While both have the same layout, airline-specific air waybills include the carrier’s name, air waybill number, office address, and logo. Neutral air waybills, on the other hand, do not have prepopulated carrier-related fields.
The default form of AWBs changed from paper to electronic in 2019, with electronic versions referred to as e-AWBs. While carriers can issue their own e-AWBs, they can also obtain them from IATA.