QUICK ANSWER An air waybill (AWB) is the airline's receipt for your cargo and the evidence of the contract of carriage. It is not a document of title: the airline delivers to the consignee named on it. Its 11-digit number combines the airline's prefix, a serial number and a check digit. On a consolidation, the airline's master air waybill (MAWB) covers the whole load and your forwarder's house air waybill (HAWB) covers your cargo. CBP receives the house AWB data before loading.
An air waybill travels with every shipment you import by air, and what it says about the goods and the parties decides whether your cargo flies on time and is released without a hold. Platton, an import-focused US forwarder, issues the AWB on every air freight booking and checks it against your supplier's invoice and packing list before the flight.
What the air waybill does on an air shipment
What is an air waybill in law? The answer comes from the Montreal Convention, in force for the US since November 4, 2003. It makes the AWB evidence of the contract of carriage between shipper and airline and of the airline's acceptance of the cargo. The weight, dimensions, packing and number of packages on it count as evidence too, and the shipper answers for those details even when a forwarder or the airline's agent fills them in.
On arrival, the airline notifies the named consignee and delivers once the charges due are paid. The AWB transfers no ownership, and under 19 CFR 141.11 the consignee cannot endorse it to give someone else the right to make US entry. Bill of lading vs air waybill compares release and payment security with an ocean bill.
MAWB and HAWB on a consolidated air shipment
When your cargo flies in a forwarder's consolidation, two air waybills cover it. A direct shipment flies on a single AWB.
Master and house air waybill side by side
| Master air waybill (MAWB) | House air waybill (HAWB) | |
|---|---|---|
| Issued by | The airline, under its prefix | Your forwarder |
| Covers | The whole consolidation | Your shipment inside it |
| Shipper | The consolidator | The foreign vendor, supplier or manufacturer |
| Consignee | A container station or the carrier, enough for CBP's master record | The party the cargo is delivered to |
| Description | "Consolidation" is enough for CBP's master record; the airline can ask for more | A precise description of your goods |
| Number | IATA 11 digits | Up to 12 letters and digits |
| Data to CBP | Sent by the inbound airline | Sent by the airline or another eligible filer, one party for every house under the master |
| Where you track it | The airline's system | Your forwarder's system |
The master air waybill (MAWB) from the airline
The MAWB is the airline's contract for the whole consolidation, and the forwarder sends its data to the airline as an FWB message. Until the airline takes the freight on hand, the shipment stays under the forwarder's liability.
The house air waybill (HAWB) from your forwarder
The HAWB is the forwarder's document for your cargo and the AWB you hold as the importer. Its data goes to the airline as an FHL message, with the security status of each house.
What the 11-digit AWB number tells you
An AWB number follows the IATA standard of 11 digits, written as 000-00000000.
The parts of an AWB number
| Part | Digits | Example | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airline prefix | 3 | The airline's code | The issuing airline, so whose tracking to use |
| Serial number | 7 | 1234567 | The individual air waybill |
| Check digit | 1 | 5 | The remainder of the serial number divided by 7 (1234567 leaves 5); it validates the number |
What goes in each box of the AWB form
The paper AWB follows IATA Resolution 600a, with the conditions of contract on the back under Resolution 600b, and the e-AWB carries the same fields as data.
The AWB form, box by box
| Box | What goes in it | Code or rule |
|---|---|---|
| Shipper and consignee | Name, street, place, country, postal code, contact | Up to 35 characters per line in the e-AWB, matching the shipping details exactly |
| Issuing carrier's agent | Agent name and place | IATA agent code |
| Airports and routing | Origin and destination airport codes, routing, flight bookings | Origin airport code even when the freight trucks to it |
| Currency and charges | Currency; who pays weight and valuation charges and other charges | P (prepaid) or C (collect), marked separately for each |
| Declared value for carriage | A value that lifts the liability limit | NVD: no value declared |
| Declared value for customs | The value for customs | NCV: no customs value |
| Amount of insurance | The insured amount | XXX: no amount |
| Handling information | Special instructions, dimensions, ULD numbers | "DANGEROUS GOODS AS PER ATTACHED DGD" |
| Pieces and gross weight | Piece count; gross weight in kg or lb | Without aircraft pallet and container tare, with wooden skids |
| Rate class and commodity item | Rate class code per rate line | Codes such as C, M, N or Q; commodity item number required with C |
| Chargeable weight | Actual or dimensional weight, whichever is greater | Chargeable weight |
| Rate, charge and total | Rate or charge and line total | Air freight cost |
| Other charges | Surcharges and fees | MY fuel, XB security, RA dangerous goods fee |
| Nature and quantity of goods | Specific description with dimensions or volume | No "said to contain" |
| Shipper's certification and carrier's execution | Shipper or agent signature; date, place and signature of the issuing carrier or its agent | Signatures may be printed or stamped |
Describing the goods and their handling
Generic descriptions are not accepted in most countries, and the airline's flight manifest keeps only the first 15 characters of the first description line. "Aircraft spare parts" becomes "Aircraft spare", so put the most specific words first. Dangerous goods need a handling line and a declaration that travels with them (shipping lithium batteries). The description, piece count and weight should agree with the commercial invoice and packing list.
Charges and declared values on the AWB
With NVD as the declared value for carriage, the airline's liability for loss, damage or delay is capped at 26 SDR per kilogram, the limit since December 28, 2024. A higher value declared at handover, with any supplementary charge paid, raises the cap. Cargo insurance covers the value above it.
How the e-AWB replaces the paper waybill
IATA's Multilateral e-AWB Agreement, Resolution 672, removes the paper requirement, as the Montreal Convention allows. A paper AWB has three originals, for the carrier, the consignee and the shipper. Under the e-AWB, the contract is concluded when the airline sends the forwarder its Freight on Hand message. A paper AWB is still printed when the law that applies requires one, and the airline codes that shipment ECP.
IATA recommends the e-AWB on lanes where both countries ratified the same treaty, as the US, Germany, the UK, China, India, Thailand and Vietnam did with the Montreal Convention.
The AWB data CBP receives before the flight
Through Air Cargo Advance Screening (ACAS), mandatory since June 12, 2018, CBP receives part of the AWB data before the cargo is loaded for the US, at the house level when there is one. The full manifest data follows before arrival; air freight import shows where each filing falls.
AWB boxes in the data CBP receives (19 CFR 122.48a and 122.48b)
| AWB box | What CBP receives | What CBP accepts |
|---|---|---|
| AWB number | 11-digit IATA number; house number up to 12 letters and digits | Every character, letters included, the same in ACAS and the manifest |
| Shipper | Name and address | On a house or direct AWB, the foreign vendor, supplier or manufacturer; never a carrier, forwarder or consolidator |
| Consignee | Name, address, email, phone | The party the cargo will be delivered to |
| Nature and quantity of goods | Cargo description | A precise description or the 6-digit HTS number; not "FAK", "general cargo" or "STC" |
| Pieces | Total quantity | Smallest external packing unit: 2 pallets of 50 pieces count as 100, not 2 |
| Gross weight | Total weight | Pounds or kilograms |
| Airport of departure | Airport of origin | Where air transport to the US began: Hong Kong via Narita is HKG |
Enhanced ACAS fields added in November 2025
Since November 21, 2025 (90 FR 52796), ACAS also asks for the consignee's email and phone and the place where the shipment was packed or is picked up. The ship-to party, the first party to receive the cargo after CBP release, is required as well. Unless the shipper is a Verified Known Consignor, ACAS also needs the shipper's email and phone and two customer account codes, for shipping frequency and billing type. Informed compliance runs to May 1, 2027, though willful and egregious violators face enforcement throughout.
How CBP matches the entry to the AWB
Block 12 of the entry summary, CBP Form 7501, carries the AWB number from the carrier's manifest, and ACE reports the release status against that bill. "Not Released" means a manifest hold on a bill linked to the entry, "Pending" that the entry is on file but the carrier's bill has not matched in the manifest, and "Admissible" that it has matched with no holds but the release window, for air the aircraft's arrival, has not opened yet. Customs clearance process covers the full sequence.
AWB mistakes that hold cargo at US airports
CBP issues a referral for information when typos, vague descriptions or unverifiable data stop it from assessing the cargo. The airline cannot fly the cargo until the referral is resolved. A Do-Not-Load instruction stops it outright.
AWB mistakes, what they cause and how they are fixed
| Mistake | What happens | How it is fixed |
|---|---|---|
| Vague description, "STC" or "general cargo" | Referral for information before loading | Precise description or 6-digit HTS number, ACAS updated before departure |
| Forwarder named as shipper on the house AWB | Shipper not accepted | The foreign seller with its foreign address |
| Shipper or consignee without email and phone | Enhanced ACAS data incomplete | Delivery party with email and phone, ACAS updated |
| Weight or pieces differ from the cargo at acceptance | Airline sends an FNA error message | Corrected FWB re-sent before the cargo is ready for carriage |
| AWB number on the entry differs from the manifest | ACE shows "Pending" | Block 12 carries the manifest number |
| Cargo short or over on arrival | Shortage or overage against the AWB | Carrier reports it to the port director within 30 days of aircraft entry |
Holds and exams for other reasons are covered in customs hold and exam.
TAKEAWAY House AWB data has to be right before loading. After departure it can still be corrected until the manifest deadline, 4 hours before arrival on most lanes. After that, a mistake becomes a shortage, an overage or a hold on the bill.
How Platton helps with air waybills
From offices in Seattle, Portland, Chicago and Savannah, and as a member of WCA, JCtrans and NCBFAA, Platton books air freight into the US from Asia and Europe.
The AWB issued with every Platton air booking
When you book air freight with us, we book the flight, issue the AWB and prepare the export documentation. Real people answer fast when an AWB detail has to change.
AWB data drawn from a checked invoice and packing list
Our supplier document validation collects your supplier's invoice and packing list and compares product, quantity, weight, value and shipment details across them. Each mismatch goes back to you and the supplier before the flight, so the AWB is built from papers that agree.
Tracking by AWB number on one dashboard
From AWB number to arrival, you track every Platton air shipment in one place, across origin, transit hub and destination. Automated documentation links the commercial invoice and the other shipment documents to the same shipment record in our cargo management platform.
Air freight from Asia and Europe into US gateways
Your AWB can come from Lufthansa Cargo, Cargolux, Emirates SkyCargo, Qatar Airways Cargo, FedEx, UPS, DHL or a major US passenger carrier, the airlines we book. The cargo lands where we have confirmed air space, at JFK, LAX, ORD, DFW, ATL, Sea-Tac or MIA. Origin airports and routings are on the lane pages for China, India, Germany and the UK. Quotes are instant and live, and the rate locks at booking.
Air waybill questions from US importers
Is the air waybill number the same as a tracking number?
For air cargo, yes. The airline tracks your shipment by the 11-digit AWB number, and its first three digits tell you which airline's tracking to use. On a consolidation, the master number tracks at the airline. Your house number tracks in your forwarder's system.
Is an air waybill the same as a commercial invoice?
No. The air waybill is the airline's receipt for the cargo and evidence of both the contract of carriage and the right to make US entry for goods arriving by air. The commercial invoice is the seller's bill and the basis of the goods' value.
Is the electronic air waybill mandatory?
No. Joining IATA's Multilateral e-AWB Agreement is free and obliges no one to use it, and a forwarder starts e-AWB with an airline only after that airline's activation notice. The agreement, like the IATA air waybill itself, is meant for international shipments only.
Can an air waybill be corrected after it is issued?
Yes, and the earlier the better. Before departure, the forwarder re-sends corrected data to the airline, and ACAS data must be updated whenever it changes, up to the manifest deadline. After arrival, a difference is reported as a shortage or overage, although package marks that differ need no correction when the quantity and description are correct.
What are the legal implications of an air waybill?
The AWB is evidence of the contract and of the cargo the airline accepted, and the shipper answers for its data. The airline's liability is limited per kilogram unless a higher value for carriage is declared, and bill of lading vs air waybill compares that limit with the ocean one. Damage must be reported in writing within 14 days of receipt and delay within 21 days. A damages claim must be brought within two years.
More guides to air freight documents
- Bill of lading vs air waybill: title, release and liability compared.
- Bill of lading: the ocean transport document.
- Commercial invoice: the seller's bill and the value of the goods.
- Packing list: pieces, weights and cartons.
- Chargeable weight: how the billed kilogram is calculated.
- Air freight import: the steps of an air import into the US.
