AWB Studio

Free · Opens soon · FWB/16, FWB/17 and FHL

Free FWB and FHL validator

The AWB Studio FWB validator is a free online tool that checks an IATA Cargo-IMP message before you send it. Paste an FWB (Air Waybill Data message, version 16 or 17) or an FHL (Consolidation List). Each problem it finds is listed with the line and field, a plain-English explanation and the fix. It opens at public launch.

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Paste an FWB or FHL message and see each problem the checks find, with the line, a plain-English explanation and the fix. Free, no account.

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FWB/16 and FWB/17
45
checks
FHL
5
checks
See what it will check ↓

01 / Checks

What the validator will check

These are the checks the validator will run, based on the IATA Cargo-IMP FWB specification and AWB Studio’s reference data. Airlines can apply additional rules of their own. It will check FWB/16 and FWB/17 messages against 45 checks and FHL messages against 5.

On every FWB: blocking findings

Reject
27 checks

AWB number

  • The last digit of the 8-digit serial is the mod-7 check digit (0 counts).F-AWB-CHECKDIGIT

Mandatory lines

  • The pieces and weight on the AWB line, for example /T2K150.5: whole pieces of up to 4 digits, K or L, the weight, and nothing after it but a volume or density group. Blocking on FWB/17, a warning on FWB/16.F-AWB-QUANTITY
  • The shipper name (SHP).M-SHP-MISSING
  • The consignee name (CNE).M-CNE-MISSING
  • Charge declarations with a currency (CVD).M-CVD-MISSING
  • At least one rate line (RTD).M-RTD-MISSING
  • A prepaid (PPD) or collect (COL) charge summary.M-CHARGE-SUMMARY-MISSING
  • The carrier’s execution (ISU), with an issue date and a place.M-ISU-MISSING

Shipper, consignee and agent

  • The shipper’s street (ADR), place (LOC) and ISO country code. Blocking on FWB/17, a warning on FWB/16.M-SHP-ADDRESS-MISSING
  • The consignee’s street (ADR), place (LOC) and ISO country code. Blocking on FWB/17, a warning on FWB/16.M-CNE-ADDRESS-MISSING
  • The shipper’s ISO country code is 2 capital letters, for example DE. Blocking on FWB/17, a warning on FWB/16.F-SHP-COUNTRY-FORMAT
  • The consignee’s ISO country code is 2 capital letters, for example US. Blocking on FWB/17, a warning on FWB/16.F-CNE-COUNTRY-FORMAT
  • The agent line (AGT) carries the 7-digit IATA cargo agent code, and a 4-digit CASS address if one is given.F-AGT-CODE-FORMAT

Flight bookings

  • Each flight booking (FLT) starts with the carrier code and the flight number, for example LH400.F-FLT-FORMAT
  • Each flight booking (FLT) gives the day of the month as 2 digits, 01 to 31.F-FLT-DAY-FORMAT

Text fields

  • Party names and addresses, the goods description, SSR, OSI, CER and ISU use printable ASCII only.F-CHARSET-NONASCII
  • The same text, the weights, the rates and the charge amounts fit the FWB/17 field lengths.F-OVER-LENGTH

Charges

  • No prepaid summary (PPD) on an all-collect CVD, and no collect summary (COL) on an all-prepaid CVD.C-PC-EXCLUSIVITY
  • The CVD currency is 3 letters.F-CURRENCY-FORMAT
  • The CVD prepaid/collect indicators are P or C, and the declared values for carriage, customs and insurance are plain amounts or NVD, NCV and XXX. Blocking on FWB/17, where all three values are mandatory, a warning on FWB/16.F-CVD-FORMAT
  • Each rate line’s rate class is one letter from the IATA list, for example Q or M, not GCR. A warning when the letter is not on the list.F-RATE-CLASS
  • Rate × chargeable weight equals the line total. On minimum (M), basic (B) and ULD (U) charge lines the rate can be the charge itself. A warning only on ULD additional information (X) and ULD discount (Y) lines.A-LINE-TOTAL
  • The line totals add up to the weight charge (WT) of the prepaid (PPD) or collect (COL) summary. A warning only when a ULD discount (Y) line is present.A-WEIGHT-CHARGE-SUM

Handling, security and ULDs

  • The e-freight codes EAW and EAP are not declared together.S-EAW-EAP-EXCLUSIVE
  • An OCI security-status entry carries a Cargo-IMP security status (NSC, SPX, SCO or SHR).O-SECURITY-STATUS
  • Each OCI country code is 2 letters.O-COUNTRY-FORMAT
  • Each ULD number (RTD NU line) has a ULD type, a serial number and an owner code.U-ULD-SYNTAX

On every FWB: warnings

Warning

Review these before you send.

  • The shipper, consignee and also-notify party each have at most 2 name lines (NAM) and 2 street lines (ADR).F-PARTY-LINES
  • Each text field (party, agent, CER, ISU, SSR, OSI, the goods description and OCI) has no "/" inside it, because "/" separates the fields.F-SLASH-IN-TEXT
  • An FWB/17 has a sender reference (REF) with the sender’s office message address or participant identification.M-REF-MISSING
  • Each FWB/17 rate line has dimensions (ND) or a volume (NV), or ND//NDA, unless a ULD number is given.C-DIMS-OR-VOLUME
  • The collect charge summary starts with COL, not the legacy CCD.F-CCD-LEGACY
  • The rate description (RTD) has at most 11 numbered lines, plus a 12th holding one goods line only.F-RTD-OCCURRENCES
  • The special service request (SSR) has at most 3 lines.F-SSR-OCCURRENCES
  • The other service information (OSI) has at most 3 lines.F-OSI-OCCURRENCES
  • The SSR, also-notify (NFY), OSI and customs origin (COR) text together has at most 216 characters.F-SERVICE-TEXT-TOTAL
  • The chargeable weight is not below the gross or volumetric weight (6,000 cm³ per kg).R-CHARGEABLE-WEIGHT
  • Each special-handling code is in AWB Studio’s current list. A code that isn’t listed can still be valid.S-SHC-UNKNOWN
  • The special handling line (SPH) has at most 9 codes.S-SHC-OCCURRENCES
  • Special-handling pairs a carrier may need to keep apart are flagged for review.S-SHC-INCOMPATIBLE
  • The e-AWB codes ECC and ECP are not declared together.S-ECC-ECP-EXCLUSIVE
  • The security status is given on the special handling line (SPH), not as an OCI security status (SS) entry.O-SECURITY-STATUS-IN-OCI
  • The origin and destination are in AWB Studio’s airport list. IATA city codes such as LON can still be valid.R-AIRPORT-UNKNOWN
  • The airline prefix is in AWB Studio’s airline list.R-AIRLINE-UNKNOWN
  • The CVD currency is in AWB Studio’s currency list.R-CURRENCY-UNKNOWN

On every FHL

5 checks
  • The master AWB check digit.
    Reject
    F-AWB-CHECKDIGIT
  • At least one house bill (HBS).
    Reject
    M-HBS-MISSING
  • Master and house airport codes are 3 letters (blocking) and in AWB Studio’s airport list (warning).
    Reject or warning
    R-AIRPORT-UNKNOWN
  • The master AWB prefix is in AWB Studio’s airline list.
    Warning
    R-AIRLINE-UNKNOWN
  • House-bill currencies are in AWB Studio’s currency list.
    Warning
    R-CURRENCY-UNKNOWN

Not checked yet

  • Postcodes.
  • Whether the shipper and consignee country codes are real ISO countries (only their presence and 2-letter format are checked).
  • Carrier codes in the routing and flight lines.
  • Dangerous goods requirements.
  • Airline-specific rules.
  • Full FHL content beyond the checks listed above.

02 / How to fix

How to fix errors

  1. 01

    Paste your message

    Copy the full FWB or FHL from your system or email and paste it in.

  2. 02

    Read the findings

    Each one shows the line (for example CNE), the field, and the rule in plain English.

  3. 03

    Fix the source data

    Correct it in your shipment record or in the message text. For check-digit errors, use the AWB check-digit calculator.

  4. 04

    Run it again

    Repeat until no blocking findings remain, and review any warnings.

  5. 05

    Hand it off and watch the reply

    A clean run means the message passed every check listed on this page. Carriers can apply their own rules: if the airline’s system can’t process the message, it replies with an FNA (Cargo-IMP Error message) giving the reason.

03 / FNA

What is an FNA?

An FNA is the IATA Cargo-IMP Error message. When an airline or cargo community system cannot process a message you sent, such as an FWB, an FHL or a booking request, it replies with an FNA. The FNA quotes your message and gives a short free-text reason, such as “ACK/INVALID AWB NO”. Correct the data and send the message again. An FMA (Message Acknowledgement) confirms the message was received; it does not mean the shipment is accepted.

From the Cargo-IMP manual

The Cargo-IMP manual’s sample FNA rejects a booking request for AWB 125-92345675 with “INVALID AWB NO”. The check digit confirms it: 9234567 leaves remainder 6, so the valid number is 125-92345676.

Problems the validator flags

  • Reject
    M-CNE-MISSING · CNE

    Missing consignee name

    The CNE line needs a named consignee; “to order” still needs a name.

    How to fix a missing consignee →
  • Reject
    F-AWB-CHECKDIGIT · AWB

    Wrong AWB check digit

    The 8th digit of the serial must equal the remainder of the first 7 divided by 7.

    How to fix a wrong check digit →
  • Reject
    M-SHP-MISSING · SHP

    Missing shipper name

    The SHP line needs the shipper’s name.

  • Reject
    C-PC-EXCLUSIVITY · CVD · PPD · COL

    Prepaid summary on a collect waybill

    A PPD line on an all-collect CVD, or a COL line on an all-prepaid CVD, is flagged.

  • Warning
    R-AIRPORT-UNKNOWN · Origin · destination

    Unknown airport code

    The origin or destination is not in AWB Studio’s airport list. IATA city codes such as LON can still be valid.

More guides on air waybills and Cargo-IMP messages in Learn.

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