Tag Archives: ASA

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. “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. Fabio Gamba, ASA’s Director General said, “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”. IATA and ASA collaboration will include: Safety Data: Through ASA’s Safety Incident Database and IATA’s Incident Data Exchange (a part of IATA’s Global Aviation Data Management – GADM – initiative), both organizations will share and analyze safety information to proactively address safety issues related to ground and cargo handling. Industry Standards: ASA will continue to work with IATA in the development of industry best practices and standards related to ground and cargo handling, taking advantage of relevant data. In particular, this work will focus on key documents such as the IATA Ground Operations Manual (IGOM) and the IATA Airport Handling Manual (AHM), their adoption by the industry and reduction of variations.

A new Air Services Agreement (ASA) has been signed between India and Fiji, replacing the previous ASA, which was signed between the two governments in 1974. The agreement was signed between Ashok Gajapathi Raju, Civil Aviation Minister, Government of India and Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum, Attorney General and Minister of Civil Aviation, Government of Fiji. This new ASA has been negotiated to meet the conditions that exist now and will exist in the foreseeable future. According to Khaiyum, the new ASA will spur economic growth and create opportunities for trade, investment and tourism. Under the ASA and to ensure ease of travel between the two countries, Fiji Airways has already signed a code-share agreement with Jet Airways of India to allow seamless travel between Fiji and a number of Indian cities. He said, “This new agreement is good for both countries. We want to thank India’s Hon. Minister for Civil Aviation, Ashok Gajapathi Raju, and the entire Indian government for their good faith, goodwill and respectful posture throughout these negotiations. Although Fiji is economically and geographically much smaller than India, we were at the table as equals.” Fiji is now in the process of reviewing and updating its ASA with other countries, with the goal of increasing the scope and quality of economic activity and connectivity while at the same time protecting the Fijian aviation industry.