{"id":3767,"date":"2026-07-01T13:43:05","date_gmt":"2026-07-01T10:43:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mikhailinvest.com\/bizarre-direct-air-waybill-revamp-a-game-changer-for-forwarders\/"},"modified":"2026-07-01T13:43:05","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T10:43:05","slug":"bizarre-direct-air-waybill-revamp-a-game-changer-for-forwarders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mikhailinvest.com\/zh\/bizarre-direct-air-waybill-revamp-a-game-changer-for-forwarders\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018\u4e00\u9879\u2019\u5947\u7279\u2018\u7684\u76f4\u8fd0\u5355\u6539\u9769\uff0c\u5bf9\u8d27\u8fd0\u4ee3\u7406\u6765\u8bf4\u662f\u4e00\u9879\u2019\u98a0\u8986\u6027\u201d\u53d8\u9769"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"dreamstime_l_104532169\"\n

Photo: \u00a9 Kiosea39
\n| Dreamstime.com<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Freight forwarders could face significant new legal and insurance risks under changes to IATA\u2019s Direct Air Waybill (DAWB) framework that took effect today.<\/p>\n

According to FIATA, the industry\u2019s agreed review process has effectively been bypassed.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The revised IATA Direct Air Waybill (DAWB) framework is intended to change the contractual relationship between airlines, shippers, and forwarders, potentially making forwarders responsible for obligations traditionally borne by the shipper. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Critics, including FIATA, argued\u00a0that this could leave forwarders liable for claims relating to cargo they neither own, pack,\u00a0nor control, such as\u00a0misdeclared\u00a0dangerous goods or damaged shipments.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In a strongly worded statement yesterday, FIATA argued that amendments adopted by the IATA Cargo Agency Conference under an expedited procedure had been allowed to take effect before the formal review process, under Cargo Agency Conference Resolution 801c, could be completed. \u00a0<\/p>\n

The association said it had repeatedly requested an urgent meeting of the IATA-FIATA Consultative Council (IFCC) to examine the legal, operational, and insurance implications of the changes, but the review had not been concluded before the implementation date.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a result, the review mechanism established under the Cargo Agency Conference Resolutions has been deprived of its intended effect,\u201d FIATA said. It wanted the revisions to be deferred until October.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The association warned that, in the absence of a completed review, airlines should clearly state whether they would continue accepting DAWB shipments under the existing framework, or explain how the revised arrangements would operate in practice.\u00a0<\/p>\n

FIATA director general St\u00e9phane Graber said: \u201cFreight forwarders cannot reasonably be expected to assume significant new contractual obligations or liabilities outside their function without legal certainty or a proper opportunity to assess the resulting operational and insurance implications.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

It said it had already received information indicating that \u201cimplementation may differ between airlines\u201d, with some carriers reportedly not intending to implement the revised framework today. \u00a0<\/p>\n

One forwarder told \u8f7d\u661f<\/i> the implications had been \u201cvery much understated, and probably not recognised for relevance and potential impact\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is a game-changer for the industry beyond comprehension. Nothing like it has occurred for the past century.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The source explained: \u201cWorst scenario \u2013 a hazardous shipment of acid leaks and causes a major incident with an airline and it can be proved that this is down to a specific shipment. The booking agent has full liability for the aircraft and the outcome of a major disaster and the ensuing turmoil of claims that follow, not the airline.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

They described the concept as \u201cbizarre\u201d, due to so much being out of the control of the freight booking agent shown on the DAWB.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf freight is damaged in the control of a carrier how can the booking agent be liable? If freight is not security screened correctly how can the booking agent, in most circumstances, be held liable?\u201d<\/p>\n

The source likened the proposal to a property transaction where \u201cthe estate agent holds all the liability and is responsible for anything that goes wrong before, during or after the house purchase\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n

They also noted that getting insurance cover would now be a concern, \u201cas the liability is open ended\u201d and therefore cost-prohibitive if full liability and potential consequences are underwritten and covered fully.\u00a0<\/p>\n

While large multinational forwarders might have the financial resources to absorb such exposure, he argued, smaller operators would struggle.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThis really is lunacy of the top tier in its format, its logic, and the implementation overnight. It needs to be deferred,\u201d they urged.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Indeed, another forwarder told \u8f7d\u661f<\/i>: \u201cThe DAWB change is astonishing\u2026I\u2019ve only just heard it\u2019s due to be enforced.\u201d<\/p>\n

And a more candid WhatsApp<\/em> message said: \u201cDidn\u2019t think the fuckwits would actually follow through and do it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Brandon Fried, executive director of the Airforwarders Association (AfA), said:\u00a0\u201cThe core problem is that a forwarder can end up treated as the contractual shipper, even when the real shipper is named right there on the waybill.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce that happens, you\u2019re potentially on the hook for things you never controlled and often can\u2019t even see \u2013 how the cargo was packed, what\u2019s actually inside the box, concealed dangerous goods, a misdeclaration by the shipper. Liability is supposed to follow whoever creates and controls the risk. This blurs that line.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

He also questioned whether existing insurance policies would respond.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cForwarder liability cover is written around what forwarders actually do, not around shipper obligations. If you suddenly pick up shipper-level exposure,\u00a0there\u2019s\u00a0a real question whether your policy responds at all. That means coverage gaps and higher premiums, and the firms least able to absorb it are the small and mid-size forwarders who make up most of this market.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Mr Fried said the lack of a completed review had left the industry without clear guidance on implementation,\u00a0and the \u201cworrying\u201d\u00a0notion of\u00a0inconsistent application across airlines.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cFIATA has already said it\u2019s hearing that some airlines don\u2019t plan to implement on 1 July, while others do. IATA\u2019s own guidance tells forwarders to talk to each airline directly and settle contractual terms before tendering cargo. That\u2019s close to an admission that there\u2019s no single rulebook on day one.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

He\u00a0advised forwarders to\u00a0obtain written confirmation from each airline on which framework was being applied and to check with insurers whether existing policies would respond if they were treated as the contractual shipper.\u00a0<\/p>\n

IATA had not responded to requests for comment at the time of publication, but said a response would be issued soon.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Photo: \u00a9 Kiosea39 | Dreamstime.com 01\/07\/2026 Freight forwarders could face significant new legal and insurance risks under changes to IATA\u2019s Direct Air Waybill (DAWB) framework that took effect today. According to FIATA, the industry\u2019s agreed review process has effectively been bypassed.\u00a0 The revised IATA Direct Air Waybill (DAWB) framework is intended to change the contractual 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\u00a9 Kiosea39 | Dreamstime.com 01\/07\/2026 Freight forwarders could face significant new legal and insurance risks under changes to IATA\u2019s Direct Air Waybill (DAWB) framework that took effect today. According to FIATA, the industry\u2019s agreed review process has effectively been bypassed.\u00a0 The revised IATA Direct Air Waybill (DAWB) framework is intended to change the contractual…","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/phf4fX-YL","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mikhailinvest.com\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3767","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mikhailinvest.com\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mikhailinvest.com\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mikhailinvest.com\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/280549882"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mikhailinvest.com\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3767"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mikhailinvest.com\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3767\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mikhailinvest.com\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3742"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mikhailinvest.com\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3767"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mikhailinvest.com\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3767"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mikhailinvest.com\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3767"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}