As of July 1, 2026, new rules from the International Air Transport Association, IATA for short, apply to the Direct Air Waybill. An Air Waybill is the air freight bill. With the Direct Air Waybill, the actual shipper appears in the "Shipper" field, while the freight forwarder submits the shipment to the airline as an intermediary.
Previously, the freight forwarder in this arrangement was often treated as an agent of the shipper. Going forward, the airline and freight forwarder must first clarify in writing which obligations, liabilities, and exemptions apply. If there is no special agreement, the freight forwarder generally assumes the same obligations toward the airline as it would for a shipment in its own name.
This can become costly. Claims are possible due to incorrectly declared goods, concealed dangerous goods, faulty customs declarations, sanctions violations, or security issues. The freight forwarder can thus be held responsible for information originating from the shipper that it can only verify to a limited extent.
This is precisely what shipper and freight forwarder associations are warning against. The Global Shippers Forum sees new uncertainty and potential additional costs. FIATA, the world association of freight forwarders, had demanded a review before implementation and pointed out unresolved legal, operational, and insurance-related issues.
The rule is nonetheless not a blanket requirement for all air freight. It applies specifically to Direct Air Waybills. Additionally, a different bilateral agreement can be concluded with the airline. Therefore, it is now important to examine not only the air freight bill but also review the agency agreement, airline conditions, and own forwarder terms together.