OREANDA-NEWS. Qatar Airways Cargo has announced the signing of a multilateral e-Air Waybill (e-AWB) agreement (Resolution 672) with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) which provides a legal framework for parties to conclude cargo contracts by electronic means.

Developed collaboratively by IATA with industry stakeholders, e-AWB removes the requirement for a paper air waybill by providing consent to do an electronic airway bill while not altering the conditions of contract of carriage.  There is no longer a need to print, handle or archive paper airway bills. An e-AWB brings accuracy, confidentiality and efficiency while helping to reduce operational costs and speed-up the delivery of air freight shipments. 

“Benefits of electronic airway bills include reduced costs, higher productivity, better reliability, and enhanced regulatory compliance,” said Qatar Airways Chief Executive Office Akbar Al Baker:  “Most importantly it paves the way toward a paper-free e-freight system.”

The agreement with IATA enables Qatar Airways Cargo to accept e-AWB from all participating freight forwarders.  Freight forwarders who have signed multilateral e-AWB agreements with IATA will be able to tender e-AWB shipments to Qatar Airways Cargo at multiple airports around the globe.

To facilitate seamless electronic data exchange with freight forwarders, Qatar Airways Cargo has appointed Cargo Community Network – Singapore, a provider of cargo community system services (CCS) and e-solutions for the air cargo industry, as its CCS partner.