18.11.05IATA Announces e-AWB As Default Contract of Carriage

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has announced that the electronic air waybill (e-AWB) will become the default contract of carriage for all air cargo shipments on enabled trade lanes from January 1, 2019.

IATA said that the key industry milestone ''ushers air cargo into a new era where digital processes will be the norm and paper processes will be the exception.''

IATA introduced e-AWB in 2010 with the objective to initiate the digitalization of the air cargo supply chain and said ever since, the e- AWB initiative has been a key enabler to the digitalization and transformation of the industry, as data availability and quality is critical to deliver innovative solutions and enhance customer experience.

The association said the growing number of stakeholders using e-AWB demonstrates that the industry is ready and committed to embrace the full digitalization of the air cargo industry.