What is an Air Waybill (AWB)?

What is an Air Waybill (AWB)?

1. Meaning
The Air Waybill is a contract for the carriage of air cargo between the shipper and the carrier and is also a voucher (receipt) for the carriage of the goods.
2. Features
Air waybills are characterized by “transportation contracts” and “cargo receipts.” What is the “transportation contract”? That is, the air cargo transportation contract concluded between the shipper and the carrier; what is the “cargo receipt”? That is, the carrier receives the shipper’s goods and receives the receipt (voucher) for transportation.

3. The difference between the bill of lading on ocean and Air waybill

Strictly speaking, the bill of lading is unique to the sea, and only the ocean shipping can call the bill of lading. Because the bill of lading has a very important feature: the
“property certificate” functions. The “transportation contract” and the “cargo receipt” are both owned by the air waybill and the ocean bill of lading, but the “property certificate” is unique to the ocean bill of lading. Therefore, air transport can only be called a waybill, which can not be called a bill of lading, the ability of ocean shipping can be called a bill of lading.
4. Neutral waybill and airline waybill
We often hear the phrase “neutral waybill”. The “neutral waybill” is actually the original waybill, that is, the waybill without any carrier (airline) logo (such
as airline name, logo, address). “Non-neutral waybill” is the air waybill of the airline. The order is printed with the name of the airline, the logo, the carrier’s ticket code (three digits) and the shipper number including the check code. . This information is used to distinguish shipping orders from different airlines.

5. General provisions for air waybills
1) Air waybills are not transferable. That because the waybill have no function of the property certificate. The
ocean bill of lading can be circulated and transferred under certain conditions.
2) Each batch (one bill) of air cargo, including CONSOL goods, that is, collectively transported goods (centralized consignment or mixed cargo) to fill an airline air waybill. The House Airway Bill for CONSOL goods can only be produced by the freight forwarder (the consignor) who operates the CONSOL goods. The carrier air waybill (HAWB) cannot be used. The carrier air carrier bill (Master Airway Bill, MAWB for short) is not allowed. MAWB is also called the main order. The air waybill MAWB and the order HAWB are somewhat similar to the seaborne bill of lading (MBL) and house bill of lading (HBL). However, the waybill does not have the property rights certificate function. This should be kept in mind.

3) The validity period of the air waybill

Once the shipper is filled, the shipper (or its agent) and the carrier (or its agent) will become effective upon signing. There are two cases: First, the air waybill is used as the “voucher (receipt) for the carriage of goods” – when the goods are shipped to the destination, the consignee picks upthe goods and signs the delivery of the shipper (yellow, fifth joint). At this point, the shipper as the voucher (receipt) for transportation, the validity period ends. The second is the air waybill as the “air cargo transportation contract” – the legal period of validity is valid for two years from the date of suspension of transportation.