How to create an air waybill (MAWB), step by step

Step 1: Get the AWB number

A master air waybill (MAWB) is the air waybill for the consignment the airline carries. It is issued on the airline's AWB number range, by the airline or by the forwarder acting as its agent.

Use an AWB number from the airline you ship with: its 3-digit prefix plus a serial the airline allocated to you, from your AWB stock or with the booking. The number has 11 digits: the prefix and an 8-digit serial whose last digit is the check digit, for example 020-12345675.

This guide follows the FWB message. For the printed form, see how to fill in an air waybill, box by box.

Step 2: Work out the check digit (mod 7)

The check digit is the remainder when the first 7 digits of the serial are divided by 7, including 0. Worked example: 1234567 ÷ 7 = 176366 remainder 5, so the check digit is 5 and the full number is 020-12345675. A serial with remainder 0, such as 1234562, ends in 0: 020-12345620.

A wrong check digit makes the AWB number invalid. The Cargo-IMP manual's own 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.

Work it out or check it with the free AWB check-digit calculator.

Step 3: Fill in the parties

The shipper (SHP) and the consignee (CNE) each take a name (NAM, up to 35 characters), a street address (ADR, up to 35), a place (LOC, up to 17, with an optional state or province of up to 9) and a line with the ISO 2-letter country code, the optional postcode and contact details. An account number, where one is used, goes on the SHP or CNE line itself.

The agent block (AGT) identifies the issuing carrier's agent, usually you: your IATA cargo agent numeric code and CASS address where you have them, your name and your place.

Write every party in printable 7-bit ASCII; the slash (/) is reserved as the separator. Transliterate accented letters, so MÜLLER becomes MULLER or MUELLER.

Step 4: Routing and flights

The line after FWB/17 carries the AWB consignment details: the AWB number, the origin and destination codes, the number of pieces and the weight, for example 020-12345675FRAJFK/T2K150.0. Use IATA 3-letter airport codes, not 4-letter ICAO codes. IATA city codes such as RIO also appear in IATA's own examples.

The RTG line lists the routing: each transfer point or destination with the carrier code for that leg. The FLT line with booked flights is used only by agreement with the carrier.

Step 5: Goods, rates and charges

The CVD line declares the currency, whether weight and other charges are prepaid (P) or collect (C), and the declared values: NVD when no value is declared for carriage, NCV when there is no customs value, and XXX when there is no insurance amount.

Each RTD line describes one rate: pieces, gross weight, rate class, chargeable weight, rate and total, followed by the nature and quantity of the goods (NG) and their dimensions or volume. OTH lists other charges.

The charge summary gives the totals: PPD for prepaid charges and COL for collect charges. At least one of the two must be present.

Step 6: Certification and execution

CER carries the shipper's certification: the signature of the shipper or its agent, up to 20 characters. ISU is the carrier's execution: the issue date, the place, and the signature of the issuing carrier or its agent.

The lines of an FWB/17 message

An FWB/17 uses these line identifiers, in this order. Which of them a shipment needs depends on the shipment and the carrier.

Check it, then hand it off

The free FWB validator opens at public launch. You will then be able to paste the FWB into it and see what its checks flag, with the line, the field and the fix. It will check the check digit, mandatory lines, party addresses, charges, and special-handling and security codes. Airlines can apply additional rules of their own. See what the validator will check. Until then, check the AWB number with the free AWB check-digit calculator, which works now.

AWB Studio does not transmit to airline systems. Copy or download the FWB and submit it through your airline's or handler's portal, your cargo community system or your messaging provider.

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