Air Cargo News has published further coverage of industry concerns surrounding proposed amendments to IATA's Direct Air Waybill (DAWB) framework, reporting that FIATA has formally called for the changes to be delayed to allow a proper review process to be completed.
Freight & Trade Alliance (FTA) has again been referenced in the Air Cargo News coverage, highlighting particular concerns that the changes may also transfer responsibility and liability for Dangerous Goods shipments to freight forwarders, even where operational control, documentation, cargo declarations and packaging information sit with other parties in the supply chain.
The article reports that FIATA has exercised its formal right under Cargo Agency Conference Resolution 801c to request a review of the proposed amendments, but says that process has not been capable of being completed before the scheduled implementation date of Wednesday 1 July 2026. FIATA has therefore requested that the effective date be postponed until 1 October 2026.
The issue centres on proposed changes that may materially alter the contractual position of freight forwarders when tendering cargo under a Direct Air Waybill. While IATA has argued that DAWB arrangements can leave airlines contracting with parties they do not know or have not directly assessed, freight forwarders remain concerned that the revised framework may expose them to expanded obligations and liabilities, including where they are acting only as a shipper's agent and are not the named shipper on the air waybill.
The article notes FIATA's concerns that aspects of the proposed framework may create legal uncertainty and an unintended misalignment between liability, operational control and insurable risk. It also reports that FIATA has written to airlines seeking urgent clarification on whether the amended framework will be implemented from 1 July 2026 and, if so, what processes freight forwarders will be expected to follow before tendering cargo for carriage.
FTA/APSA will continue to monitor developments closely and engage with international representative bodies and industry stakeholders on the potential impacts for Australian freight forwarders, shippers and the broader air cargo supply chain.
Read the article in full HERE.
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