Okuzeka
International Trade vocabulary · Trade Documents

Air waybill

Meaning in international trade, with examples

nounCommon term

In international trade, air waybill means: The transport document for goods sent by air, issued by the airline or its agent as a receipt for the cargo and evidence of the contract of carriage.

In Turkish: hava yolu konşimentosu, havayolu taşıma senedi, AWB

How it is used

Shortened to AWB; each one has a unique number used to track the shipment. Unlike a bill of lading, an air waybill is not a document of title, so the consignee named on it can collect the goods without an original. Forwarders issue house air waybills (HAWB) under a master air waybill (MAWB).

Example sentences

  1. Please send me the air waybill number so I can track the cargo.

  2. The air waybill shows the buyer's bank as consignee, as the L/C requires.

Common collocations

  • air waybill number
  • master air waybill
  • house air waybill
  • issue an air waybill
  • bill of ladingA document issued by the shipping line that confirms the goods were received or loaded, sets out the terms of carriage and gives the holder the right to collect the cargo.
  • consigneeThe person or company named on a transport document as the one who will receive the goods at destination.
  • freight forwarderA company that organizes the transport of goods for exporters and importers, booking space with carriers and often handling documents, insurance and customs.
  • ETAEstimated Time of Arrival: the date and time when a ship, plane, truck or shipment is expected to arrive.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Trade Documents

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: