Geneva, Switzerland, 28 May 2026 – FIATA today called for a formal review of the proposed changes to the Direct Air Waybill (DAWB) framework adopted at the recent International Air Transport Association (IATA) Cargo Agency Conference (CAC), invoking the IATA-FIATA Consultative Council (IFCC) review mechanism under IATA CAC Resolution 801c, Article 4.2.
Citing insufficient consultation on the legal, operational and insurance implications of the proposed measures, growing legal uncertainty among industry stakeholders, and the need for stability in an already disrupted global air cargo market, FIATA urged a review of the proposed changes, scheduled to become effective on 1 July 2026, in accordance with the IFCC review mechanism. Such a review would enable a structured, industry-wide reassessment, recognising that changes of this magnitude require inclusive and consent-based development among affected stakeholders.
The adopted measures introduce significant changes to the DAWB framework, with important implications for the allocation of contractual responsibilities, liabilities and indemnities across the air cargo supply chain. Based on extensive global consultations conducted by FIATA with freight forwarders, airlines, insurers, legal experts and shipper representatives, including cargo owner perspectives, stakeholders have raised concerns that aspects of the current framework may create legal uncertainty and an unintended misalignment between liability, operational control and insurable risk. These consultations have also enabled FIATA to identify a number of guiding principles and possible pathways towards a more balanced and operationally workable framework capable of addressing the concerns identified by airlines, whilst ensuring alignment between liability, operational control and insurable risk. (....)