Airline AWB prefix directory

The first three digits of an air waybill number identify the airline that issued it. Use this list to work out who is carrying your cargo — and therefore where to track it.

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How AWB prefixes work

IATA assigns each member airline a three-digit numeric code, often called the airline prefix or accounting code. It is printed at the start of every air waybill the airline (or its agent) issues, followed by an eight-digit serial whose last digit is a mod-7 check digit. Because the prefix is fixed per airline, it is the fastest way to tell which carrier's system holds the tracking data for a shipment.

A few practical points that trip people up:

• The prefix is the issuing carrier, not always the operating one. Cargo booked on a 157 (Qatar Airways) AWB may fly a leg on a partner or trucked segment, but you still track it on the issuing airline's system.
• Cargo brands share their parent's prefix. Emirates SkyCargo uses Emirates' 176; IAG Cargo shipments on British Airways stock use 125.
• Leading zeros matter. Lufthansa Cargo is 020, not 20. Spreadsheets that strip zeros produce 10-digit numbers that no system will find.
• House AWBs have no airline prefix. Forwarders' house numbers use their own formats; see Master vs House AWB.

About this list

This directory covers widely used passenger and all-cargo airlines and is maintained by the AWBTracking.net team. It is not the full IATA register, and airlines occasionally merge, rebrand or stop flying. If you think an entry is wrong or missing, let us know. To check a complete number, use the AWB validator.