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Air cargo

Air Waybill (AWB)

In Indonesian: Air Waybill (AWB, surat muatan udara) Abbreviation: AWB

An air waybill (AWB) is the air cargo transport document that evidences the contract and the airline's receipt of the goods. Unlike an ocean bill of lading, it is non-negotiable and not a document of title, so the goods are delivered to the named consignee. The AWB number has 11 digits, the first 3 being the airline prefix. Forwarders issue house AWBs under the airline's master AWB, and many routes now use the e-AWB.

Related terms

  • Bill of Lading (B/L)

    A bill of lading is the ocean transport document issued by the carrier or its agent.

  • Sea Waybill

    A sea waybill is a non-negotiable ocean transport document and not a document of title.

  • House Bill of Lading (HBL)

    A house bill of lading is the B/L a freight forwarder or NVOCC issues to the shipper.

  • Chargeable Weight

    Chargeable weight is the weight used to price a shipment: the greater of the actual gross weight and the volumetric weight.

Covered in these guides

Load calculations

Volumetric and Chargeable Weight: Air, Courier, Sea and Road Explained

How to calculate volumetric weight for air cargo (÷6,000), courier (÷5,000), sea freight W/M and road tariffs, with chargeable-weight worked examples.

5 min read

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