eAWB (electronic Air Waybill) — electronic Air Waybill

What Is an eAWB?

The electronic Air Waybill (eAWB) replaces the traditional paper Air Waybill (AWB) — the document that serves as the contract of carriage between shipper and carrier and as a receipt for goods tendered for air transport. Instead of a physical, signed paper form accompanying the shipment, the eAWB exists as structured electronic data exchanged between the parties in the supply chain, most commonly using the Cargo-IMP FWB (Freight Waybill) message or the newer Cargo-XML format.

Legal Basis

Using an eAWB requires the parties to have a legal agreement in place recognizing electronic data as equivalent to a paper contract. IATA Resolution 672 established the Multilateral e-AWB Agreement, allowing an airline and a freight forwarder to sign once with IATA and then conduct e-AWB shipments with any other participating party, rather than negotiating a separate bilateral agreement with every partner.

Part of the e-Freight Program

The eAWB is the centerpiece of IATA's broader e-freight initiative, an industry-wide effort involving airlines, freight forwarders, ground handlers, shippers, customs brokers, and customs authorities to remove paper from the air cargo supply chain. e-freight covers three main strands:

Benefits

Current Status

Paper AWBs are still used on trade lanes or under regulatory conditions where eAWB is not yet feasible — for instance, where customs authorities still require a paper original, or where a trading partner has not joined the Multilateral e-AWB Agreement. IATA and the wider air cargo industry continue to work toward eAWB as the default for eligible shipments.