FIATA International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations has formally called for a structured review of upcoming changes to the Direct Air Waybill (DAWB) framework.
The disputed measures, adopted at a recent International Air Transport Association (IATA) Cargo Agency Conference (CAC), are currently scheduled to take effect on 1 July 2026.
Invoking the IATA-FIATA Consultative Council (IFCC) review mechanism under IATA CAC Resolution 801c, Article 4.2, FIATA warns that the expedited rollout has bypassed essential cross-industry consultation. Stakeholders across the global supply chain report that the new rules threaten to decouple legal liability from actual operational control, introducing severe legal uncertainty and potentially uninsurable risks into an already disrupted air cargo market.
Extensive global consultations led by FIATA—spanning freight forwarders, airlines, insurers, legal experts, and shipper representatives—have highlighted critical friction points in the adopted text:
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Misalignment of Liability and Control: The proposals significantly expand liability exposure for freight forwarders, even when acting strictly as agents of the shipper without direct control over underlying cargo information or compliance processes.
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Threats to Insurability: Insurers participating in the consultations warned that vague definitions of liability, especially when disconnected from operational control, undermine the predictability of claims handling and could impact the core insurability of these logistics risks.
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Supply Chain Disruption: Shipper and insurer representatives project that the changes will fracture existing recourse mechanisms, spike contractual disputes, and destabilize established commercial structures.
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“Structural changes altering the allocation of rights and liabilities across the air cargo supply chain must be built on broad stakeholder consensus and rigorous technical assessment,” stated FIATA. “Frameworks developed in isolation risk creating severe imbalances, harming market functionality and commercial relationships.”
The proposals were first communicated to the freight forwarding community in January 2026, leaving inadequate time for legal, operational, and insurance assessments before being pushed to adoption. FIATA notes that forcing structural industry changes by 1 July 2026 creates unnecessary operational hazards at a time when the airfreight sector is already navigating intense geopolitical, operational, and commercial volatility.
While FIATA acknowledges airline concerns regarding compliance, due diligence, and risk visibility, it maintains that responsibility must remain firmly aligned with the party performing the actual transport function.
FIATA’s invocation of the IFCC review mechanism aims to halt the current implementation timeline in favor of a structured, industry-wide reassessment. This process will allow stakeholders to design alternative, balanced pathways that satisfy airline compliance needs while maintaining alignment with established international liability frameworks, including the Montreal Convention.
FIATA remains fully committed to constructive engagement with IATA and all industry partners to secure a legally coherent, operationally workable framework that reinforces the resilience of the global air cargo system.
