what is an air waybill awb 
an air waybill awb is a document that accompanies goods shipped by an international air courier to provide detailed information about the shipment and allow it to be tracked the bill has multiple copies so that each party involved in the shipment can document it an air waybill awb also known as an air consignment note is a type of bill of lading 1 however an awb serves a similar function to ocean bills of lading but an awb is issued in non negotiable form meaning there s less protection with an awb versus bills of lading understanding an air waybill awb an air waybill awb serves as a receipt of goods by an airline the carrier as well as a contract of carriage between the shipper and the carrier it s a legal agreement that s enforceable by law the awb becomes an enforceable contract when the shipper or shipper s agent and carrier or carrier s agent both sign the document an air waybill is a standard form distributed by the international air transport association iata the air waybill also contains the shipper s name and address consignee s name and address three letter origin airport code three letter destination airport code declared shipment value for customs number of pieces gross weight a description of the goods and any special instructions e g perishable an awb also contains the conditions of the contract that describe the carrier s terms and conditions such as its liability limits and claims procedures a description of the goods and applicable charges air waybill vs bill of ladingawbs are unlike other bills of lading in that they are non negotiable instruments meaning that it does not specify on which flight the shipment will be sent or when it will reach its destination bills of lading are legal documents between the shipper of goods and the carrier detailing the type quantity and destination of the goods being carried bills of lading also act as a receipt of shipment when the goods are delivered at a predetermined destination this document accompanies the goods and is signed by authorized representatives of the shipper the carrier and the recipient 1 however unlike a bill of landing an air waybill awb is non negotiable being non negotiable the awb is a contract just for transportation and does not cover the merchandise value requirements for an air waybillthe international air transport association iata designs and distributes air waybills there are two types of awbs an airline specific one and a neutral one each airline awb must include the carrier s name head office address logo and air waybill number 2 neutral air waybills have the same layout and format as airline awbs they just aren t prepopulated some airlines no longer produce paper air waybills only allowing access to electronic air waybills an air waybill has 11 numbers and comes with eight copies of varying colors with the multilateral electronic air waybill resolution 672 paper air waybills are no longer required 3 dubbed the e awb it s been in use since 2010 and became the default contract for all air cargo shipments on enabled trade lines as of 2019 4who provides the air waybill air waybills are iata documents signed by both the shipper and the carrier the iata is a trade association that represents more than 80 of all air traffic including many major airlines and major parcel services such as fedex and ups 5