Analysis of International Air Freight Outbound Document Procedures Difference Between Direct Consignment and Split Consignment

Differences Between Master Air Waybill and House Air Waybill in International Air Freight

In international trade, air freight is an essential mode of transportation, especially when delivering high-value or time-sensitive goods quickly. However, for those new to international air freight, understanding different types of shipping documents is crucial. Among them, the master air waybill MAWB and house air waybill HAWB are two common forms of shipping documents, each with its own characteristics and applicable scenarios.

First, let’s understand what a master air waybill is. A master air waybill refers to the freight document issued directly by the airline to the shipper. This document is typically called the Master Air Waybill MAWB. When goods are transported from one country to another, the airline is responsible for the entire transportation process and provides this single master air waybill. The uniqueness and completeness of the master air waybill mean that all transportation information related to this batch of goods is concentrated on this single document. For instance, a news report in 2025 mentioned that a Chinese electronics company exported a batch of high-end electronic products to the European market through the master air waybill, with the entire process handled by a single airline, ensuring the safety and timeliness of the goods. The advantage of using the master air waybill lies in its simplicity and clear responsibility, making it suitable for enterprises aiming to reduce intermediate links and improve efficiency.

On the other hand, a house air waybill refers to the freight document issued by a freight forwarding agency to the shipper. These documents are commonly known as House Air Waybills HAWB. The existence of house air waybills mainly arises because not all shippers have the ability to deal directly with airlines; thus, they choose to arrange transportation through freight forwarders. In such cases, the freight forwarder first obtains the master air waybill from the airline and then divides it into several house air waybills based on actual transportation needs to deliver to different customers. The advantage of using house air waybills is that it offers more flexibility and support services for small and medium-sized enterprises, such as customized logistics solutions. However, this also means that clients need to manage multiple service providers, increasing communication costs.

When choosing between a master air waybill and a house air waybill, what factors should be considered? First, the scale and needs of the enterprise are an important consideration. Large multinational corporations, due to their strong resource integration capabilities and global network layouts, tend to use master air waybills to simplify operational processes and reduce risks; while small and medium-sized enterprises may prefer to use house air waybill services to better control costs and enjoy professional value-added services. Second, the nature of the goods themselves will also influence decision-making. For example, for some special commodities such as fresh food or hazardous materials, which require high conditions like temperature and humidity, choosing a master air waybill can more effectively ensure the quality of the entire transportation chain.

In recent years, with the rapid development of the cross-border e-commerce industry, more and more e-commerce platforms have begun to adopt a hybrid model for cross-border logistics distribution. In this model, both master air waybills and house air waybills are applied. On one hand, the platform itself, as a large enterprise, can directly cooperate with airlines to obtain master air waybills; on the other hand, to meet the specific needs of buyers in different regions, local professional freight agents must be relied upon to complete the last-mile delivery tasks. This combination leverages the advantages of master air waybills while compensating for the shortcomings of house air waybills in end-of-line delivery.

In summary, whether it is a master air waybill or a house air waybill, they are both indispensable parts of modern international air freight systems. Before making a choice, enterprises should fully assess their own circumstances and trends in market demand changes to find the most suitable shipping method. In the future, with technological advancements and deeper industry consolidation, these two models will continue to evolve, providing businesses with more efficient and convenient service experiences.