✈ Export knowledge • Air freight documents • Since 1998

Air waybill explained
Your shipment’s contract, receipt and tracking number in one

The air waybill is the essential document in air freight — but it works quite differently from a sea bill of lading, and the amount it covers you for surprises almost everyone. Here is what an AWB does, how to read the number, and what it means if something goes wrong.

Get a quote 📞 0800 096 38 39

🚫Never a document of title
🔢11 digits — airline prefix + serial
⚖️Liability 26 SDR per kg (since Dec 2024)
📅Handling air waybills since 1998

The basics

What an air waybill actually is

If air freight has one essential document, it is the air waybill. It is your shipment’s contract, its receipt and its tracking number in a single piece of paper — issued when the shipment is booked onto a flight, and the reference everything else hangs off.

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It is the contract of carriage between you and the airline, setting out the terms on which your goods are carried.

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It is a receipt, recording what was accepted, how many pieces, the weight, and a description of the goods.

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It carries the tracking number — the reference you use to follow the shipment and the one the destination needs in order to release it.

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It is never a document of title. This is the single most important difference from a sea bill of lading. You cannot sell, endorse or pledge an air waybill, and possession of it does not give anyone ownership of the goods. The airline releases to the named consignee on proof of identity.

The number

How to read an air waybill number

Every AWB number follows the same eleven-digit pattern, and once you can read it you know which airline is carrying your goods before you ask anyone.

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Three digits, then eight. The first three are the airline’s own prefix — British Airways is 125, Emirates 176, Qatar Airways 157. The remaining eight are the serial number, the last digit of which is a check digit calculated from the rest, so a mistyped AWB number generally fails validation rather than pointing at somebody else’s cargo.

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Written as 125-12345675 or similar. When you are asked for “the AWB”, this is what is wanted — and it is what you will need at the destination cargo terminal.

Whose waybill?

Master and house air waybills

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Master air waybill (MAWB): issued by the airline, covering the whole consolidation as far as the carrier is concerned. Your forwarder is shown as the shipper.

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House air waybill (HAWB): issued by the forwarder to you, covering your specific shipment inside that consolidation. This is the one with your name on it.

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Which do you track? The master number usually tracks on the airline’s system; your house number is what identifies your goods within the consignment. If a tracking number returns nothing, you may be using the wrong one of the two — ask us and we will tell you which is which.

Liability

How much are you actually covered for?

Almost nobody asks this until something goes wrong, and the answer surprises people every time: carrier liability is calculated by weight, not by what your goods are worth.

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Air cargo is limited to 26 SDR per kilogram under the Montreal Convention. That limit rose from 22 SDR on 28 December 2024 — the Convention is reviewed for inflation every five years. SDR is an IMF unit worth roughly £1.05–£1.10, so 26 SDR is around £28 per kilogram.

How the three modes compare. This is worth seeing side by side, because the differences are large:

Mode	Document	Document of title?	Carrier liability limit
Air	Air waybill (AWB)	No — never	26 SDR per kg under the Montreal Convention
Sea	Bill of lading	Can be, if negotiable	2 SDR per kg, or 666.67 SDR per package — whichever is higher — under the Hague-Visby Rules
Road	CMR consignment note	No	8.33 SDR per kg under the CMR Convention

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Do the sum on your own shipment. Thirty kilos of laptops is covered to roughly £840 by air. If the goods are worth £3,000, the difference is yours unless you have arranged something.

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Two ways to close the gap: declare a special value on the air waybill, which raises the carrier’s exposure in exchange for a supplementary charge; or take out transit insurance covering the goods’ actual value, which is usually the more sensible option. We will talk you through both when we quote.

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Claim deadlines are short. Damage must be notified to the carrier in writing within 14 days of receiving the goods, and delay within 21 days. Any action is time-barred after two years. Check the shipment on collection, not a fortnight later.

Practical

What we need from you, and what you do at the far end

The information on the air waybill comes from you at booking. It is short, but it has to be right.

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What we take at booking: shipper and receiver details, origin and destination, number of pieces, weight and dimensions, a proper description of the contents, and the customs information for the destination. We complete the documentation, so you are not left working out the paperwork alone.

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Collection: we collect from any UK mainland address. Inside the M25, Within M25: Mon–Fri 09:30–16:00 • Outside M25: Mon–Fri 10:00–17:00 and weekends 09:00–12:00 (a surcharge applies to Greater London weekend collections). Outside the M25, Within M25: Mon–Fri 09:30–16:00 • Outside M25: Mon–Fri 10:00–17:00.

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At the destination: keep the AWB number safe. Your receiver generally needs that reference plus photographic identification to claim the shipment from the cargo terminal, and where duty or local charges apply those are settled there. If the number is mislaid, contact us — we can retrieve it from our records.

From 40 years on the counter

What actually goes wrong

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Vague descriptions. “Personal effects” or “samples” on the waybill invites a physical examination. Describe the goods so an officer could identify them without opening the box.

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Consignee details that don’t match ID. The name on the waybill must match the identification your receiver presents at the terminal. A shortened name or missing initial can stop a release.

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Undeclared dangerous goods. The waybill is where regulated contents get declared. Batteries, aerosols and perfume in an undeclared shipment are found at screening — see our dangerous goods guide.

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Assuming you are fully covered. The 26 SDR per kilo limit is not the value of your goods. Decide on cover before the shipment flies, not after.

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Checking the goods too late. Fourteen days sounds generous until it has passed. Open and inspect on receipt.

Common questions

Your questions answered

What is an air waybill? +

The document issued when an air-cargo shipment is booked onto a flight. It is the contract of carriage between you and the airline, a receipt for the goods, and it carries the tracking number used to follow the shipment and release it at destination.

Is an air waybill a document of title? +

No, and this is the key difference from a sea bill of lading. An air waybill is non-negotiable and cannot be sold, endorsed or pledged. The airline releases the goods to the named consignee on proof of identity.

How do I read an air waybill number? +

It is eleven digits. The first three are the airline's prefix - for example 125 for British Airways - and the remaining eight are the serial number, the last digit of which is a check digit calculated from the others.

What is the difference between a master and a house air waybill? +

The airline issues the master air waybill, which covers the whole consolidation and shows your forwarder as shipper. The forwarder issues the house air waybill to you, covering your specific shipment within it.

How much is an airline liable for if my cargo is lost? +

Liability is limited to 26 SDR per kilogram under the Montreal Convention - roughly GBP 28 per kilo. That limit rose from 22 SDR on 28 December 2024. It is based on weight, not the value of your goods, so consider declaring a special value or arranging transit insurance.

How long do I have to make a claim? +

Damage must be notified to the carrier in writing within 14 days of receiving the goods, and delay within 21 days. Any action is time-barred after two years, so check the shipment on collection.

What does my receiver need to collect the shipment? +

Generally the air waybill number plus photographic identification, presented at the destination cargo terminal. Any duty or local charges are settled there. If the number is mislaid we can retrieve it from our records.

What information do you need from me for the air waybill? +

Shipper and receiver details, origin and destination, number of pieces, weight and dimensions, a proper description of the contents, and customs information for the destination. We complete the documentation for you.

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Lak Kharod, Director

Excess Luggage Co. • 40 years in the freight industry • MetEx House, Hounslow, next to Heathrow

“People think the air waybill works like a bill of lading. It does not — it is never a document of title, and the liability limit is by weight, not by what your goods are worth. We complete the documentation for you, but tell us honestly what is in the shipment.” Call 0800 096 38 39.

Air waybill explainedYour shipment’s contract, receipt and tracking number in one