# Air Waybill (AWB): What It Is, How to Read It, Types & Examples > Learn what an Air Waybill (AWB) is, how it works in air freight shipping, and why it's essential for international cargo. Complete guide with examples. URL: https://airfreightprice.com/en/air-waybill/ # Air Waybill (AWB): What It Is, How to Read It The Air Waybill is the single most important document in air freight. If you’re shipping cargo by air — whether 50 kg of electronics from Shenzhen or 10 tonnes of machine parts from Frankfurt — you need an AWB. This guide explains what it is, how to read every field, and the difference between a Master AWB and House AWB. ## What Is an Air Waybill? An Air Waybill (AWB) is a **contract of carriage** between the shipper and the airline. It serves three purposes simultaneously: it’s a receipt confirming the airline accepted your cargo, a freight bill showing charges, and a customs document required for import/export clearance. The AWB is governed by the **Warsaw Convention** (1929) and the **Montreal Convention** (1999), which set international rules for air cargo liability. Every commercial air freight shipment requires one. **Key fact:** Unlike a Bill of Lading (B/L) used in sea freight, an Air Waybill is non-negotiable. It cannot be endorsed or transferred to claim ownership of the goods. It’s a contract, not a title document. ## AWB Number Format Every AWB has an **11-digit number** in the format: XXX-XXXXXXXX Part | Digits | Meaning | Example | Airline prefix | First 3 | Identifies the issuing airline (IATA code) | 020 = Lufthansa, 176 = Emirates | Serial number | Next 7 | Unique shipment identifier | 1234567 | Check digit | Last 1 | Calculated from serial (mod 7) | 0 | **Example:** AWB 020-12345670 → Lufthansa Cargo, shipment #1234567, check digit 0. ### Common Airline Prefixes Prefix | Airline | Prefix | Airline | 020 | Lufthansa Cargo | 235 | Turkish Cargo | 176 | Emirates SkyCargo | 157 | Qatar Airways Cargo | 180 | Korean Air Cargo | 074 | KLM Cargo | 057 | Air France Cargo | 172 | Cargolux | 160 | Cathay Pacific Cargo | 098 | Asiana Cargo | ## MAWB vs HAWB: What’s the Difference? There are two types of Air Waybills, and understanding the difference is essential: Feature | Master AWB (MAWB) | House AWB (HAWB) | **Issued by** | Airline / airline’s agent | Freight forwarder | **Shipper listed** | Forwarder (as consolidated shipper) | Actual shipper (your company) | **Consignee listed** | Forwarder’s agent at destination | Actual receiver (your buyer) | **Used for** | Airline ↔ forwarder contract | Forwarder ↔ shipper contract | **Customs** | May not show individual goods detail | Shows your specific cargo description | **Tracking** | Track on airline website | Track via forwarder | **How it works in practice:** A freight forwarder collects cargo from 5 different shippers going from Shanghai (PVG) to Frankfurt (FRA). The forwarder issues 5 separate HAWBs (one per shipper). The airline issues 1 MAWB covering the entire consolidated shipment. At Frankfurt, the forwarder’s agent de-consolidates and delivers each shipper’s cargo using the HAWB. ## What Fields Are on an Air Waybill? A standard AWB (IATA format) contains these sections: Box | Field | What It Contains | 1 | Shipper’s Name & Address | Full legal name, address, contact of the sender | 2 | Consignee’s Name & Address | Full legal name, address, contact of the receiver | 3 | Issuing Agent | Freight forwarder or airline agent details | 4 | Airport of Departure | IATA 3-letter code (e.g., PVG, FRA, LAX) | 5 | Airport of Destination | IATA 3-letter code of final airport | 6 | Routing | First carrier, transit stops, flight numbers | 7 | Nature & Quantity of Goods | Description, number of pieces, commodity code | 8 | Gross Weight | Actual weight in kilograms | 9 | Chargeable Weight | MAX(actual weight, volumetric weight) | 10 | Rate / Charge | Rate per kg and total freight charges | 11 | Declared Value | For carriage and customs (NVD = No Value Declared) | 12 | Handling Information | Special instructions: DG, perishable, live animals | ## How Chargeable Weight Works on the AWB The AWB shows both actual weight and chargeable weight. Airlines bill based on **whichever is higher**: **Volumetric weight** = Length × Width × Height (cm) ÷ 6,000 **Chargeable weight** = MAX(actual kg, volumetric kg) **Example:** A box of clothing: 80×60×50 cm, actual weight 15 kg. Volumetric weight = 80×60×50 ÷ 6,000 = **40 kg**. Since 40 > 15, the chargeable weight is 40 kg. You pay for 40 kg even though the cargo only weighs 15 kg. Learn more: [How to Calculate Volumetric Weight →](/en/how-to-calculate-volumetric-weight/) | [Air Freight Calculator →](/en/air-freight-calculator/) ## How Many Copies of an AWB Are There? A standard AWB is issued in **3 originals + 6–9 copies**: - **Original 1 (green)** — for the issuing carrier (airline) - **Original 2 (pink)** — for the consignee (receiver) - **Original 3 (blue)** — for the shipper (sender) - **Copy 4** — delivery receipt (signed by consignee) - **Copies 5–12** — for agents, customs, transit airports In practice, most AWBs today are **e-AWBs** — electronic versions that eliminate paper. Over 70% of global air cargo uses e-AWBs as of 2025, per IATA. ## e-AWB: The Electronic Air Waybill The e-AWB is the electronic version of the paper Air Waybill. IATA’s **e-freight initiative** has been pushing adoption since 2010, and it’s now the standard on most major trade lanes. **Benefits of e-AWB:** faster processing (no physical paper handoff), fewer errors (data entered once), lower costs ($2–$5 per shipment saved), environmental benefit (eliminating ~7,800 tonnes of paper annually), and easier customs compliance. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is an Air Waybill (AWB)? An Air Waybill is the contract of carriage between a shipper and an airline for transporting goods by air. It serves as a receipt, a freight bill, and a customs document. Unlike a Bill of Lading in sea freight, an AWB is non-negotiable — it cannot be used to transfer ownership. ### What is the difference between MAWB and HAWB? A Master AWB (MAWB) is issued by the airline to the freight forwarder. A House AWB (HAWB) is issued by the forwarder to the individual shipper. One MAWB can contain multiple HAWBs. ### How many digits is an AWB number? An AWB number has 11 digits: first 3 are the airline prefix (e.g., 020 = Lufthansa), followed by 7-digit serial number and 1 check digit. Format: XXX-XXXXXXXX. ### Is an Air Waybill a title of ownership? No. Unlike a Bill of Lading in ocean freight, an AWB is NOT a document of title. It cannot be endorsed or transferred. ### Who issues the Air Waybill? The MAWB is issued by the airline or its handling agent. The HAWB is issued by the freight forwarder. **Need to ship cargo?** [Get a free air freight quote →](/en/air-freight-quote/)