AWB lookup
Air cargo tracking by AWB number
Enter the 11-digit air waybill (AWB) number. The first three digits tell you which airline issued it, and that airline's own website shows where the cargo is. This lookup checks the number and takes you there.
The basics
What is an AWB number?
An AWB (air waybill) number is the 11-digit number an airline gives a cargo shipment. It is made of a 3-digit airline prefix and an 8-digit serial number whose last digit is a check digit.
The prefix is the airline's numeric code for air waybills, for example 098 for Air India Cargo or 176 for Emirates SkyCargo. It is not the same as the two-character code on flight numbers (AI, EK) or the three-letter airport codes.
The check digit is the first seven serial digits divided by 7, keeping the remainder: 1,234,567 ÷ 7 leaves 5, so 098-12345675 is a valid number. A wrong check digit almost always means a typing mistake.
Master AWB or house AWB?
The airline issues the master AWB (MAWB), and only that number works on its tracker. When a forwarder groups several shippers' cargo on one master AWB, each shipper gets a house AWB (HAWB) numbered by the forwarder.
Have only a house AWB? Ask your forwarder for the master AWB number, or for the status.
Airline guides
How to track cargo by airline
Step-by-step tracking guides for airlines that carry cargo between India and the USA, with their AWB prefix, number format and notes for India–USA shipments.
Reference
AWB prefix list: 44 cargo airlines
Each airline's 3-digit AWB prefix, its two-character code and a link to its official cargo tracking page. Search by prefix, airline name or code.
Checked on 2026-10-06 against each airline's own tracking page and the aircargotracking.net: airline prefix list. Airlines move their tracking pages from time to time.
Status codes
What air cargo tracking statuses mean
Airlines report progress with the same standard codes, so a status on one airline's tracker means the same on another's.
| Code | Status | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| BKD | Booked | Space is booked on a named flight. The booking can still change before the airline accepts the cargo. |
| RCS | Received from shipper | The airline or its ground handler has taken the cargo from the shipper or forwarder and accepted it for carriage. |
| MAN | Manifested | The shipment is listed on the cargo manifest of a specific flight. |
| DEP | Departed | The flight carrying the shipment has left. A connecting routing shows one departure per leg. |
| TFD | Transferred | The shipment was handed to another airline for the next leg; that airline's tracker may show the rest of the journey. |
| RCT | Received from another airline | The shipment was taken over from another airline for the next leg. |
| RCF | Received from flight | The shipment was unloaded and checked into the warehouse, either at a transit hub or at destination. |
| NFD | Consignee notified | The shipment has arrived at destination and the consignee, or its agent, has been told. |
| AWD | Documents delivered | The arrival documents were handed to the consignee or its agent. |
| CCD | Cleared by customs | Customs has released the shipment. |
| DLV | Delivered | The airline released the shipment to the consignee or its agent. For a consolidation, that is usually the forwarder's agent at destination. |
| DIS | Discrepancy | Something does not match, such as missing or extra pieces, damage or missing documents. The handler records the details. |
Code meanings follow the industry's standard status messages. Source: Cargo Community Network: FSU status codes.
India–USA shipments
Tracking air cargo between India and the USA
India–USA air cargo either flies nonstop, as on Air India's nonstop flights, or connects through an airline hub such as Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Frankfurt or Istanbul. The airline's tracker shows each flight leg, so you can see where the cargo connects.
- Before the first flight: export air cargo is cleared by Indian Customs against a shipping bill. That step is not on the airline's tracker.
- At the US airport: NFD means the cargo has arrived and the consignee has been told. A US customs entry is still needed before it leaves the airport.
- Delivered: DLV means the airline released the cargo to the consignee or its agent, for a consolidation usually the forwarder's agent. It does not mean the cargo has reached your door.
Shipping by air between India and the USA?
Questions
Air cargo tracking: FAQs
What is an AWB number?
An AWB (air waybill) number is the 11-digit number an airline gives a cargo shipment. The first three digits are the airline's prefix and the last eight are a serial number that ends in a check digit, for example 098-12345675 for Air India Cargo.
How do I track air cargo with an AWB number?
Type the full 11-digit AWB number into the lookup on this page. It checks the digits, names the airline from the first three digits and gives you a button to that airline's own tracking page. The tracking status itself comes from the airline; this page does not store flight or shipment data.
What is an AWB prefix?
The AWB prefix is the first three digits of an air waybill number. Each airline issues its air waybills under its own three-digit code: 098 is Air India, 176 is Emirates and 157 is Qatar Airways. It is a different code from the two-character airline code on flight numbers (AI, EK, QR).
How do I check if an AWB number is valid?
Take the seven digits after the prefix, leaving off the last digit, and divide that number by 7. The remainder must equal the last digit. For 098-12345675, 1,234,567 divided by 7 leaves 5, so the number is valid. The lookup on this page runs this check for you.
Can I track a house air waybill (HAWB) on the airline's website?
Usually not. Airlines track the master air waybill (MAWB) they issued. When a forwarder groups several shippers' cargo on one master AWB, each shipper gets a house AWB numbered by the forwarder, and the airline's system does not know it. Ask your forwarder for the master AWB number, or for the status.
Why does my AWB number show no result?
Common reasons are a mistyped digit, a house AWB instead of the master AWB, a booking the airline has not received cargo for yet, or a number issued by a different airline than the one you are checking. The prefix tells you which airline issued it. If it still shows nothing, ask whoever booked the shipment.
Does a "delivered" status mean my cargo cleared US customs?
Not necessarily. Airline statuses track the cargo through the airline's handling. At a US airport, the import still needs a customs entry, which a licensed customs broker usually files for the importer. Some airlines show a customs status (CCD), but many do not.
Can Atmavaan track my air shipment?
Atmavaan does not run its own airline tracking system. If Atmavaan booked your air freight, your Atmavaan contact has the flight milestones and can update you. For any other AWB, use the airline's tracker linked from this page.
Need air freight between India and the USA?
Send the route, cargo and weight, and an Atmavaan specialist will quote it, including US customs clearance and delivery.
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