Master Airway Bill (MAWB)
The Master Airway Bill (MAWB) is an important document in air freight transportation. The MAWB is issued by the airline or its agent and serves as a contract of carriage for several shipments combined into a single bill. It includes critical information regarding the consignor, consignee, departure and arrival airports, aircraft routing, and declared cargo. The MAWB regulates the entire aggregated cargo shipment from the freight forwarding company to the airline, as opposed to the House Airway Bill (HAWB), which applies only to individual shippers. This document is critical for freight forwarders and air carriers to track, clear customs, and comply with legal requirements.
In systems such as CargoWise, the MAWB is critical to efficiently managing air freight operations. It serves as the primary reference document for generating and linking different HAWBs, automating flight schedules, and tracking carrier-specific requirements. The MAWB’s integration into CargoWise assures compliance with international air transport laws (IATA standards), reducing documentation errors and delays. The accurate issuing of MAWB improves end-to-end visibility and cargo traceability across worldwide networks, allowing for more efficient operations and shorter billing cycles.
