Air waybill

An air waybill (AWB) is the non-negotiable transport document and contract of carriage for an air consignment, issued by or on behalf of the carrier when it accepts goods for air transport. It is a receipt for the cargo and evidence of the contract, never a document of title, so the carrier releases goods to the named consignee without surrender of an original. Air carriers issue it in the IATA Resolution 600a format with a three-digit airline prefix plus an eight-digit serial. A master air waybill covers the carrier-to-forwarder leg; a house air waybill covers the forwarder-to-shipper leg. Carrier liability runs under the Montreal Convention 1999.