What is an Air Waybill?
An Air Waybill (AWB) is a document that accompanies cargo shipped via air freight. It serves as a receipt, a contract of carriage, and a customs document.
HAWB: House Air Waybill
A House Air Waybill (HAWB) is issued by a freight forwarder to their customer (the shipper). Key characteristics:
- Issued by freight forwarder to shipper
- Contains details of individual shipments
- Multiple HAWBs can be consolidated under one MAWB
- Used for tracking between shipper and forwarder
MAWB: Master Air Waybill
A Master Air Waybill (MAWB) is issued by the airline to the freight forwarder. Key characteristics:
- Issued by airline to freight forwarder
- Covers consolidated shipments
- Used for cargo handling at airports
- Contains aggregate weight and piece count
Automating HAWB/MAWB Management
Modern freight forwarding software automates HAWB and MAWB creation:
- Auto-populate data from package scans
- Generate carrier-ready documents
- Validate information before submission
- Track document status in real-time
Conclusion
Proper HAWB and MAWB management is essential for efficient air freight operations. Automated solutions reduce errors, save time, and ensure compliance with airline requirements.
Sagan Labs AI Team
Sagan Labs AI Team
Expert in warehouse automation, freight forwarding operations, and AI logistics technology. Writing about how AI is changing the freight forwarding industry.



