This partnership aims to proactively address safety issues related to ground and cargo handling.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the Airport Services Association (ASA) are strengthening their collaboration to improve ground handling safety and efficiency. Together, the organizations will work to reinforce standardization, promote safety data sharing, and explore new approaches to enhance sector resilience.
The collaboration between IATA and ASA will include several key initiatives. One of the primary areas of focus is Safety Data, where ASA’s Safety Incident Database and IATA’s Incident Data Exchange, part of IATA’s Global Aviation Data Management (GADM) initiative, will be used to share and analyze safety information.
This partnership aims to proactively address safety issues related to ground and cargo handling. In addition, both organizations will continue to work together on Industry Standards, specifically in the development of best practices and standards related to ground and cargo handling, leveraging relevant data. This collaboration will focus on key documents such as the IATA Ground Operations Manual (IGOM) and the IATA Airport Handling Manual (AHM), ensuring their adoption across the industry and striving to reduce variations.
“Global standards make aviation safer, and ASA and its members have been pivotal in helping develop the IATA ground handling standards we rely on today. By sharing data, we will be able to support this vital activity with data-driven insights and decisions. Maximizing the impact of data relies on broad contributions. We encourage ground handler participation to strengthen our collective insights,” said Nick Careen, Senior Vice-President Operations, Safety and Security at IATA.
“This partnership is a significant milestone that leverages the expertise of both IATA and ASA. By coordinating our approach, we will ensure more robust support for ground and cargo handling professionals worldwide. Our goal is to ensure that standards and best practices are in place that the entire industry can rely on,” said Fabio Gamba, ASA’s Director General.
