Abstract: A logistics management system (LMS) may generate electronic air waybills for a received freight waybill when a bilateral agreement is in place between at least a destination country and a origin country on the freight waybill. Bilateral agreements may also be associated with particular accounts, carriers, or shippers, such that freight waybills processed by an LMS cause the LMS to generate an electronic air waybill when information on the freight waybill matches a bilateral agreement. If no bilateral agreement applies then a paper air waybill may be generated. The bilateral agreements for individual destination countries, origin countries, and accounts may be stored in a database of the LMS, which is searched when processing a freight waybill.

Abstract: Electronic processing of the paper air waybills improves the speed and reduces the cost of providing air waybills. Enhanced services available for e-freight air waybills include automatic locking of the air waybills and automatic export quality assurance. E-freight air waybills may be identified by special handling codes such as e-Freight Air Waybill with Paper Document (EAP) and e-Freight Air Waybill without Paper Document (EAW). Additionally, an air waybill history may be created for the e-freight air waybills. The history may include freight waybill (FWB) messages and freight negative acknowledgement (FNA) messages related to the e-freight air waybill.

Abstract: Security checks may be implemented in computer systems or software to enforce security rules established by organizations and/or government entities. For example, the United States Transportation Security Administration and Canada Transport have recently established rules for air cargo transportation. When an air waybill is created, modified, and/or displayed a security check may be run on the air waybill. Rules for the air waybill may be selected according to a security code assigned to the air waybill. The security code may represent a country whose rules should be applied against the air waybill when performing the security check. If a security check is passed security information such as a security identifier may be displayed on the air waybill. If the security check fails a warning may be displayed to a user indicating which participant on the air waybill failed one of the security rules.