Category: Documents
Air Waybill (AWB)
Also known as: AWB
Definition
The non-negotiable transport document and contract of carriage for an air freight shipment.
An Air Waybill is issued when cargo is accepted for air transport. It serves as a receipt for the goods, evidence of the contract of carriage, and a basis for handling and billing, but unlike an ocean Bill of Lading it is not a document of title.
Because the AWB is non-negotiable, goods are released to the named consignee on identification rather than against surrender of an original, which makes air freight faster to clear. A house AWB is issued by a forwarder, a master AWB by the airline.
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