MAWB vs HAWB: what is the difference?

What is a master air waybill (MAWB)?

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.

On a consolidation, the forwarder appears on the MAWB as the shipper, and its agent at destination as the consignee. The airline receives the MAWB data in the FWB message and, through the forwarder's FHL consolidation list, the house waybill details.

The MAWB number has 11 digits: the airline's 3-digit prefix and an 8-digit serial whose last digit is the mod-7 check digit, for example 020-12345675. The prefix identifies the issuing airline.

What is a house air waybill (HAWB)?

A house air waybill (HAWB) is the forwarder's own document for one shipper's goods within a consolidation. It records that shipper, the consignee, the goods and the charges, and it is linked to the master it travels under. At destination, the forwarder's agent uses the house waybills to release each part of the consolidation to the right consignee.

House waybill numbers follow the forwarder's own numbering scheme. They do not need an airline prefix or a check digit.

A consolidation example

Five shippers in Shanghai each have 200 kg of garments for Milan. Instead of five separate bookings, the forwarder consolidates them into one consignment:

• One MAWB, for example 020-12345675, covers all 1,000 kg from Shanghai to Milan.
• Five HAWBs (H001 to H005) record each shipper's goods, declared values and consignee.

In Milan, the forwarder's agent breaks down the consolidation, matches each HAWB to its consignee and arranges delivery.

MAWB vs HAWB at a glance

The messages: FWB and FHL

The FWB (Air Waybill Data message) carries the MAWB data in IATA Cargo-IMP format: parties, routing, goods, rates and charges. It is sent before the goods are delivered to the airline.

The FHL (Consolidation List) is the check-list of house waybills under one master, optionally with house details, sent from the forwarder to the airline. The full data of a single house waybill has its own message, the FZB (House Waybill Data message).

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.

AWB Studio creates the MAWB and its HAWBs linked under the same master, generates the FWB and FHL from that data, and checks the FWB as you type. When the free FWB validator opens at public launch, it will check an FWB or FHL from any system. See what it will check.