The British International Freight Association has welcomed the news that the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and International Federation of Freight Forwarders (FIATA) have approved the standard for the multilateral electronic air waybill.
The waybill will make the numerous bilateral agreements between airlines and freight forwarders unnecessary.
“BIFA has long championed efforts to develop and promote greater adoption of a working e-AWB model, said Peter Quantrill, BIFA director general.
“The multilateral standard helps smooth the way to remove the paper air waybill and improve e-AWB take up, as well as providing the legal framework to conclude air cargo contracts by electronic means.
“Nothing in the agreement changes the airlines Conditions of Contract, nor mandates that either airlines or forwarders that participate in the multilateral agreement are obliged to conduct e-AWB activities with each other. It simply provides the platform to do so when the parties mutually agree to it.”
