What is Master Air Waybill?
A master air waybill (MAWB) is the air waybill issued by or on behalf of the airline for a consolidated shipment, naming the forwarder or consolidator as shipper and usually its destination agent as consignee. It is the contract of carriage between the forwarder and the airline and evidences receipt of the goods, while the individual shippers' consignments travel under house air waybills (HAWBs) issued by the forwarder and listed on the consolidation manifest. Like all air waybills, the MAWB is non-negotiable and is not a document of title. Each MAWB has an 11-digit number made up of a three-digit airline prefix, a seven-digit serial number and a check digit. The carrier's liability is governed by the Montreal Convention 1999 or the older Warsaw system, depending on the states involved.
Why it matters for forwarders
The MAWB number is the main reference for booking, tracking, advance cargo filings and airline billing, so number stock management and correct allocation matter. Since 1 January 2019, an IATA resolution amendment has made the electronic air waybill (e-AWB) the default contract of carriage on enabled trade lanes, where origin and destination states have ratified the Montreal Convention or Montreal Protocol No. 4, with paper optional. Forwarders sign the IATA Multilateral e-AWB Agreement (Resolution 672) once to exchange e-AWBs with all participating airlines. Differences between MAWB data, house manifest data and the physical cargo, such as pieces, weight or chargeable weight, lead to re-weigh charges, offloads and customs holds. Make sure the pieces and weight declared on the MAWB equal the totals of the house waybills in the consolidation.