Air Waybill or air consignment note refers to a receipt issued by an international airline
for goods and an evidence of the contract of carriage, but it is not a document of title
to the goods.
Hence, the air waybill is non-negotiable.
Description The Air Waybill is the most important document
issued by a carrier either directly or through its authorised agent.
It is a non-negotiable transport document.
It covers transport of cargo from airport to airport.
By accepting a shipment an IATA cargo agent is acting on behalf of the carrier whose air
waybill is issued.
Air Waybills have eleven digit numbers which can be used to make bookings, check the status
of delivery, and current position of the shipment.
The number consists of: 1.
The first three digits are the airline prefix.
Each airline has been assigned a 3-digit number by IATA, so from the prefix we know which
airline has issued the document.
2.
The next seven digits are the running number/s - one number for each consignment
3.
The last digit is what is called the check digit.
It is arrived at in the following manner: The seven digit running numbers are divided
by 7, by using a long division calculation.
The remainder becomes the check digit.
That is why no AWB number ends with a figure greater than 6.
Air waybills are issued in 8 sets of different colours.
The first three copies are classified as originals.
The first original, Green in colour, is the Issuing Carrier's copy.
The second, coloured Pink, is the Consignee's Copy.
The third, coloured Blue, is the Shipper's copy.
A fourth Brown copy acts as the Delivery Receipt, or proof of delivery.
The other three copies are white.
Functions There are several purposes that an air waybill
serves, but its main functions are: Contract of Carriage.
Behind every original of the Air Waybill are conditions of contract for carriage.
Evidence of Receipt of Goods When the shipper delivers goods to be forwarded,
he will get a receipt.
The receipt is proof that the shipment was handed over in good order and condition and
also that the shipping instructions, as contained in the Shipper's Letter of Instructions, are
acceptable.
After completion, an original copy of the air waybill is given to the shipper as evidence
of the acceptance of goods and as proof of contract of carriage
Freight Bill The air waybill may be used as a bill or invoice
together with supporting documents since it may indicate charges to be paid by the consignee,
charges due to the agent or the carrier.
An original copy of the air waybill is used for the carrier's accounting
Certificate of Insurance The air waybill may also serve as an evidence
if the carrier is in a position to insure the shipment and is requested to do so by
the shipper.
Customs Declaration Although customs authorities require various
documents like a commercial invoice, packing list, etc. the air waybill too is proof of
the freight amount billed for the goods carried and may be needed to be presented for customs
clearance The format of the air waybill has been designed by IATA and these can be used
for both domestic as well as international transportation.
These are available in two forms, viz.
the airline logo equipped air waybill and the neutral air waybill.
Usually, airline air waybills are distributed to IATA cargo agents by IATA airlines.
The air waybills show: the carrier's name
its head office address its logo
the pre printed eleven digit air waybill number It is also possible to complete an air waybill
through a computerised system.
Agents all over the world are now using their own in-house computer systems to issue airlines'
and freight forwarders' own air waybills.
IATA cargo agents usually hold air waybills of several carriers.
However, it gradually became difficult to accommodate these pre-numbered air waybills
with the printed identification in the computer system.
Therefore a neutral air waybill was created.
Both types of air waybills have the same format and layout.
However, the neutral air waybill does not bear any pre-printed individual name, head
office address, logo and serial number.
Validity The air waybill is a contract, i.e. an agreement
enforceable by law.
To become a valid contract it has to be signed by the shipper or his agent and by the carrier
or its authorised agent.
Although the same individual or organisation may act on behalf of both the carrier and
the shipper, the air waybill must be signed twice one each in the respective carrier and
shipper boxes.
Both signatures may be of the same person.
This also implies that the air waybill should be issued immediately upon receipt of the
goods and letter in instructions from the shipper.
As long as the air waybill is neither dated nor signed twice, the goods do not fall within
the terms of the conditions of contract and therefore the carrier will not accept any
responsibility for the goods.
The validity of the air waybill and thus the contract of carriage expires upon delivery
of the shipment to the consignee.
Responsibility for Completion The air waybill is a contract - an agreement
between the shipper and the carrier.
The agent only acts as an intermediary between the shipper and carrier.
The air waybill is also a contract of good faith.
This means that the shipper will be responsible for the haul also be liable for all the damage
suffered by the airline or any person due to irregularity, incorrectness or incompleteness
of insertions on the air waybill, even if the air waybill has been completed by an agent
or the carrier on his behalf.
When the shipper signs the AWB or issues the letter of instructions he simultaneously confirms
his agreement to the conditions of contract.
Definition of the term Not Negotiable Waybills are non-negotiable documents unlike
bills of lading which are negotiable.
The words non-negotiable are printed clearly at the top of the air waybill.
This means that the air waybill is a contract for transportation only and does not represent
merchandise mentioned in the box nature and quantity of goods.
The ocean bill of lading, if negotiated, may represent the goods and must be endorsed by
the party ultimately accepting the goods.
Although the AWB is a non-negotiable document, it can be used as a means of payment.
This can be done only through the intermediary of a bank and only when the carriage is subject
to a letter of credit.
The air waybill executed according to the terms of a letter of credit allows the shipper
to present the original of the air waybill to the bank and collect the billed value of
the shipped goods from the bank.
The amount paid by the bank to the shipper will be debited to the consignee who ordered
the goods.
At the destination the carrier will only hand over the goods to the consignee on receipt
of a bank release order from the consignee's bankers.
The goods in the air consignment are consigned directly to the party named in the letter
of credit.
Unless the goods are consigned to a third party like the issuing bank, the importer
can obtain the goods from the carrier at destination without paying the issuing bank or the consignor.
Therefore, unless a cash payment has been received by the exporter or the buyer's integrity
is unquestionable, consigning goods directly to the importer is risky.
For air consignment to certain destinations, it is possible to arrange payment on a COD
basis and consign the goods directly to the importer.
The goods are released to the importer only after the importer makes the payment and complies
with the instructions in the AWB.
In air freight, the exporter often engages a freight forwarder or consolidator to handle
the forwarding of goods.
The consignor provides a Shipper's Letter of Instructions which authorizes the forwarding
agent to sign certain documents on behalf of the consignor.
The air waybill must indicate that the goods have been accepted for carriage, and it must
be signed or authenticated by the carrier or the named agent for or on behalf of the
carrier.
The signature or authentication of the carrier must be identified as carrier, and in the
case of agent signing or authenticating, the name and the capacity of the carrier on whose
behalf the agent signs or authenticates must be indicated.
International air waybills that contain consolidated cargo are called master air waybills.
MAWBs have additional papers called house air waybills.
Each HAWB contains information of each individual shipment within the consolidation.
International AWBs that are not consolidated are called simple AWBs.
A house air waybill can also be created by a freight forwarder.
When the shipment is booked, the airline issues a MAWB to the forwarder, who in turn issues
their own house air waybill to the customer.
House and Master AWBs and BLs A freight forwarder offering a consolidation
service, will issue its own air waybill or bill of lading.
From now on AWB will be used to refer to both.
This is called a Forwarder's or House AWB with its equivalent House BL.
These act as contracts of carriage between the shipper and the forwarder, who in this
case becomes a Deemed Carrier.
The forwarder in turn enters into contracts with one or more carriers, often using more
than one mode of transportation.
The contract of carriage between the forwarder and carrier is called a Master Air Way Bill.
A House Air Waybill or Bill of Lading could act as a multimodal transport document.
Air Waybill Number The AWB number has 11 digits and 3 parts.
The first 3 digits are the Airline Prefix The next 7 digits is the Serial Number of
the AWB The last digit is the Check digit
The check digit is derived by dividing the 7 digit Serial Number by 7.
The remainder determines the Check Digit.
Example: Serial Number 8114074 divided by 7 is 1159153 with remainder 3.
Therefore the Serial Number + Check Digit is 81140743.
Trivia Part of a copy of a British Caledonian Airways
air waybill can be seen on the back of the cover of the album Band On The Run by Wings.
See also Airline ticket
Bill of lading Bill of sale
Waybill References
IATA.org Cargo Agent's Handbook, Resolution 807, IATA.
External links List of Airline Prefixes Airline Designators
and the Airline name Example: UPS air waybill instructions
Air waybill forms Track and trace by Air waybill