Air Freight Tracking by AWB and Carrier

At a Glance

Air freight tracking by AWB works by entering the eleven-digit Air Waybill number (a three-digit airline prefix followed by an eight-digit serial) into the issuing carrier's cargo tracking portal, which returns a sequence of standardized IATA Cargo-IMP status codes describing each stage of the shipment from origin warehouse to destination delivery. The prefix identifies the carrier (074 is KLM Cargo, 057 is Air France Cargo, 020 is Lufthansa Cargo, 176 is Emirates SkyCargo, 172 is Cargolux, 232 is Malaysia Airlines MASkargo, and so on across roughly 400 cargo-capable carriers), and the same AWB can be tracked across multiple carrier portals when a shipment involves interline or codeshare segments. For shipments booked through a freight forwarder, the forwarder's tracking interface typically consolidates MAWB-level airline events alongside HAWB-level consignment events in a single view.

Key Takeaways

• An IATA AWB number is eleven digits, split as three-digit airline prefix plus eight-digit serial (seven sequence digits and one check digit computed as the seven-digit serial modulo 7).
• The three-digit prefix uniquely identifies the issuing carrier: 074 KLM, 057 Air France, 020 Lufthansa, 176 Emirates, 157 Qatar, 160 Cathay, 172 Cargolux, 180 Korean Air, 232 Malaysia Airlines, 235 Turkish Cargo, 297 China Airlines, among many others.
• The IATA Cargo-IMP message standard defines the status code vocabulary every carrier uses: FOH, RCS, MAN, DEP, ARR, RCF, NFD, DLV, and a set of supporting codes for transfers, customs clearance, and document movements.
• The Master Air Waybill (MAWB) is the airline-to-forwarder contract; the House Air Waybill (HAWB) is the forwarder-to-shipper contract. One MAWB can contain many HAWBs in a consolidated shipment.
• Each major carrier operates its own tracking portal (AFKLMP Cargo for KLM and Air France, Lufthansa eCargo, Emirates SkyChain, Qatar Airways Cargo, Cathay Cargo, Cargolux, Turkish Cargo, and others), and the same eleven-digit AWB is recognized across the relevant carrier portals.
• A consolidated freight forwarder tracking interface accepts the MAWB or HAWB number and routes the query to the right carrier source automatically, which is useful when an interline routing involves two or three carriers on a single bill.

Why AWB Tracking Is the Operational Backbone of Air Cargo

Air freight moves on a single document standard worldwide. The air waybill is the air transport contract between the carrier and the shipper or consignor, the receipt of the goods, and the universal lookup key used by every party in the chain to identify the shipment. Tracking happens by AWB number because every carrier system, every customs broker system, every ground handling agent, and every freight forwarder system uses the AWB as the operational reference.

The rest of this article is a practical reference covering the AWB number format, the IATA Cargo-IMP status code set, a verified carrier prefix lookup table, and the tracking process across the carriers that handle the largest share of US-related air freight.

What an AWB Number Looks Like

A standard IATA Air Waybill number is eleven digits long, split into two parts.

Structure

• Three-digit airline prefix. The first three digits identify the issuing carrier. Each prefix is assigned by IATA and is unique to a single airline. The prefix is permanent across the carrier's operating life and remains tied to that carrier through mergers, brand changes, and ownership transitions (KLM and Air France merged in 2004 but kept their separate AWB prefixes, 074 and 057, which is why a KLM-issued AWB still reads 074 even though both airlines share the AFKLMP Cargo commercial structure).
• Eight-digit serial. The next seven digits are a sequential reference assigned by the airline; the eleventh and final digit is a check digit. The check digit is calculated by taking the seven-digit sequence, dividing by 7, and using the remainder. A correctly formatted AWB therefore passes a modulo-7 validation; if the math does not work, one of the digits is wrong.

Common Formats

AWB numbers are commonly written in two equivalent formats:

• Hyphenated: XXX-XXXXXXXX (for example, 074-12345675).
• Continuous: XXXXXXXXXXX (for example, 07412345675).

Tracking interfaces typically accept either format. Some interfaces will also accept the AWB number with spaces or with the prefix and serial separated by other punctuation; the underlying eleven-digit number is what gets queried.

IATA Cargo-IMP Status Codes: What Each One Means

The IATA Cargo-IMP message standard defines the status code vocabulary that every IATA member airline uses. The codes are the same across carriers, which is what allows a shipment routed via two or three airlines on a single AWB to be tracked end-to-end with one status vocabulary.

The typical expected sequence for a single-carrier shipment is FOH or FWB, RCS, MAN, DEP, ARR, RCF, CCD, NFD, and DLV. Interline shipments insert a TFD event between RCF at the transit airport and the next carrier's RCS. Discrepancy events (DIS) interrupt the sequence and require manual intervention. Gaps in the expected sequence are diagnostic: a stuck RCS without MAN usually means the cargo missed its planned flight; an RCF without NFD usually means customs clearance is in progress.

Tracking an Air Freight Shipment Through Limco's Portal

Limco's tracking interface is built around the operational reality that shippers do not always know which carrier is handling a given segment of a shipment, particularly on interline movements where two or three carriers may touch the AWB before delivery. Consolidated cargo tracking through a single forwarder interface accepts the eleven-digit MAWB number, the HAWB issued by Limco, the booking reference, or the container number on linked ocean segments, and routes the query to the correct underlying source. The interface returns the IATA Cargo-IMP status sequence with timestamps, the operating carrier per segment, the routing per flight number, and any flagged discrepancies.

For shippers managing recurring movements, the same interface supports bulk lookup, exportable status snapshots, and email or SMS push notifications when a configured status (MAN, DEP, ARR, NFD, DLV) is recorded. For complex consolidations where one MAWB contains multiple HAWBs, the interface displays the master and house views side by side, which is the operational view that consolidators and customs brokers need for clearance scheduling.

Carrier Prefix Lookup Table for Major Air Cargo Airlines

The table below lists IATA-assigned three-digit AWB prefixes for the cargo airlines most commonly seen on US-related air freight. The prefix codes are stable identifiers assigned by IATA and do not change with carrier branding or merger events.

The full IATA prefix list runs to roughly 400 cargo-capable carriers; the table above covers the prefixes most frequently encountered on US-departing and US-arriving air freight. If an AWB starts with a prefix that does not appear in the table above, the Limco tracking interface accepts the full number and resolves the carrier automatically.

Tracking Through Each Major Carrier's Portal

Each large air cargo carrier operates its own tracking interface under a carrier-branded portal. Most accept the eleven-digit AWB number directly. The principal portals for the carriers handling the largest share of international air freight are summarized below.

• AFKLMP Cargo (KLM Cargo prefix 074, Air France Cargo prefix 057, Martinair Cargo prefix 129). The combined Air France-KLM-Martinair cargo operation uses a single tracking portal under the AFKLMP Cargo brand. Tracking accepts either the KLM-issued, Air France-issued, or Martinair-issued AWB. SkyTeam Cargo interline movements involving Delta, ITA Airways, China Eastern, and other SkyTeam Cargo members also surface in the AFKLMP environment when KLM, Air France, or Martinair is the issuing carrier.
• Lufthansa Cargo (prefix 020). Lufthansa Cargo operates the eCargo portal for AWB lookup, booking, and capacity. Lufthansa Cargo also handles the cargo operations of Brussels Airlines, Austrian Airlines, and SWISS WorldCargo through coordinated interline arrangements, though those carriers maintain their own prefix codes.
• Emirates SkyCargo (prefix 176). SkyChain is the Emirates SkyCargo tracking and booking environment. Emirates SkyCargo handles a high share of US-to-Middle East and US-to-South Asia freight via Dubai International Airport.
• Qatar Airways Cargo (prefix 157). The Qatar Airways Cargo portal handles AWB tracking, capacity, and special cargo handling. Qatar Cargo is consistently one of the top three carriers by international FTK (freight tonne kilometers).
• Cathay Cargo (prefix 160). Cathay Cargo (the rebranded Cathay Pacific Cargo operation) operates its own portal with AWB-level tracking and onward routing visibility.
• Cargolux (prefix 172). Cargolux Airlines International is one of the largest dedicated all-cargo airlines globally, with a hub at Luxembourg Airport and tracking through the Cargolux portal.
• Singapore Airlines Cargo (prefix 618). The SIA Cargo portal handles AWB tracking and is a primary gateway for US-to-Southeast Asia and onward routings.
• Korean Air Cargo (prefix 180). Korean Air Cargo is one of the largest Asian cargo carriers and operates its own tracking environment.
• Malaysia Airlines MASkargo (prefix 232). MASkargo operates the cargo division of Malaysia Airlines with AWB tracking through the MASkargo portal.
• Turkish Cargo (prefix 235). Turkish Cargo, headquartered at Istanbul Airport, operates dedicated tracking and has one of the largest cargo network footprints globally.
• Avianca Cargo (prefix 134) and LATAM Cargo (prefix 045). The two largest Latin American cargo carriers each operate their own tracking portals for South America and Caribbean movements.
• FedEx (prefix 023), DHL Aviation (prefix 155), UPS, and other integrators. Integrator shipments typically use the integrator's own tracking reference (FedEx tracking number, DHL waybill, UPS InfoNotice) in addition to the IATA AWB number where one is generated.

For shippers tracking a single shipment through multiple carriers (which is common when an interline routing involves two or three airlines on a single MAWB), entering the AWB into Limco's consolidated tracking interface routes the query across the relevant carrier sources without requiring the shipper to know which carrier holds the cargo at each moment.

When Air Freight Is the Right Mode for a US Export

Air freight earns its premium for high-value, low-weight, or time-sensitive cargo. The economics of air freight versus ocean freight on a given consignment depend on cargo value, time sensitivity, and destination structure. For exporters whose cargo profile sits on the boundary (high-value perishables, automotive parts, semiconductors, pharmaceuticals), the decision is often made shipment-by-shipment rather than across the entire flow. Selecting an international freight forwarder for air freight specifically requires IATA Cargo Agent accreditation, carrier portfolio depth on the relevant trade lanes, AWB issuance capability, and consolidation infrastructure at the relevant gateway airports.

For exporters whose shipments are equally split between air and ocean, Limco coordinates booking across modes from US ports and airports. Air freight handles the time-sensitive consignments while RoRo shipping handles the rolling cargo on parallel trade lanes, often on the same destination contract.

A Note on Air Cargo Volumetric (Chargeable) Weight

Tracking is the back-end view of a shipment; chargeable weight is the front-end view. Air carriers charge on whichever is higher between the gross actual weight and the volumetric weight of the consignment. The IATA volumetric divisor is 6,000 cubic centimeters per kilogram (or 166 cubic inches per pound), which converts physical dimensions into a chargeable weight figure for rating. Air cargo calculation produces the chargeable weight that gets billed at carrier acceptance, and understanding the result at quote stage is the difference between an accurate booking and an unexpected variance after tender.

Consolidated Air Freight Tracking Through a Single Forwarder Interface

AWB tracking is universal in format and standardized in status vocabulary, but every carrier maintains a separate tracking environment. For shippers running recurring air freight movements or for shipments routed through multiple carriers on a single bill, consolidating tracking through one freight forwarder interface saves the effort of querying each carrier portal individually. Limco Logistics is an FMC-licensed NVOCC and freight forwarder headquartered in North Miami, moving air, ocean, RoRo, refrigerated, and project cargo from US ports and airports to more than 130 countries. To get a quote for an upcoming air freight booking or to discuss consolidated tracking for recurring movements, request a quote from the form at the top of this page or contact us for carrier and routing guidance specific to your cargo and destination.