MAWB vs. HAWB in Air Freight

Two air waybill numbers can appear on a consolidated shipment. The Master Air Waybill (MAWB) records the airline-level movement. The House Air Waybill (HAWB) identifies an individual consignment handled by the freight forwarder.

What is a Master Air Waybill?

The MAWB identifies the airline booking and the freight tendered to the carrier. It links the cargo to the airline movement and normally contains the route, the parties at the master level, the package count and the weight.

What is a House Air Waybill?

The forwarder uses a HAWB to document the individual shipment. It typically identifies that shipment’s shipper and consignee, along with its cargo description, pieces and weight. Where a forwarder groups several consignments together, each can have its own house reference under the same master movement.

Which reference should you use?

Use the master number for the airline movement and the house number when speaking to the forwarder about your consignment. Before departure, ask which references will be used for tracking and ensure the shipper, consignee and cargo details match your other documents.

Contact World Green Line if you need help confirming the documents for your air shipment to Iran.