The International Air Transport Association (IATA) opened the IATA Ground Handling Conference (IGHC) in Nairobi, hosted by Kenya Airways, and outlined four key priorities to elevate global ground handling: embedding safety in every action, driving global standardization, enhancing baggage operations, and building a sustainable and inclusive future.
Speaking at the event, Monika Mejstrikova, IATA’s Director of Ground Operations, emphasized the critical role ground handling plays in ensuring safety, enabling efficiency, and shaping the passenger experience. As the operating environment grows more complex with tighter turnarounds, increased regulatory pressures, and the drive toward decarbonization, the industry must unite to strengthen safety, standardize processes, and pursue sustainability.
Safety remains the top priority. IATA has, for the first time, included ground-related fatalities involving aircraft in its global safety taxonomy, providing deeper insights into risks and actionable data. Data collected through IATA’s Incident Data Exchange (IDX) and Accident Data Exchange (ADX) programs has already driven updates in the Ground Operations Manual (IGOM), including clearer no-touch zones, mandatory brake checks, safer pushback protocols, and enhanced guidance for aircraft with inoperative Auxiliary Power Units (APUs) or hot brakes. Updates also improved fire safety measures, chock placement, and sensor requirements. These improvements depend on the industry’s commitment to data sharing, with IATA encouraging more airlines and ground handlers to contribute safety event data to improve safety performance further.
Another critical safety advancement is the transition to Enhanced Ground Service Equipment (GSE), which incorporates proximity sensors to reduce ramp accidents. Since launching the Enhanced GSE Recognition Program in 2024, IATA has seen 98 ground handling fleets registered and 28 stations recognized. From April 2025, all ISAGO-accredited locations will require declarations of Enhanced GSE usage, with expanded criteria to include mobility equipment. Mejstrikova highlighted that smarter equipment, such as Enhanced GSE, leads directly to safer operations.
Accurate weight and balance data is also essential for safe and efficient aircraft turnarounds. IATA introduced the X565 standard to automate data exchange and enhance reliability. Airlines like Lufthansa Group and Flydubai, supported by Boeing and Airbus, are early adopters. In parallel, IATA is finalizing the Electronic Load Instruction and Reconciliation (ELIR) standard, set for release in 2024. Preliminary results show it reduces both errors and delays. Mejstrikova encouraged broader adoption of these digital standards to accelerate safer and more efficient operations across the industry.
Standardization remains a cornerstone of ground handling efficiency and safety. IATA continues to promote the use of the Ground Operations Manual (IGOM) and the IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO). In 2024, ISAGO achieved a record 400 station accreditations, with more than 170 airlines using audit reports and over 50 regulators and airports incorporating ISAGO into oversight frameworks. This integration has prevented 545 internal audits, streamlined 359 procurement decisions, and reduced audit time at 350 stations, collectively saving airlines and ground handlers USD 8.7 million. A revised ISAGO model, launching mid-2025, will include single-auditor audits, remote documentation reviews, updated checklists, and lower fees.
To increase IGOM adoption, IATA launched the new Operational (OPS) Portal, formerly the IGOM portal, which is now used by 221 airlines and 259 ground handlers for gap analysis and benchmarking. Its expanded functionality includes tools for training, safety, and cargo handling. Currently, over 240 airlines and 322 ground service providers are members, with 312 published gap analyses already supporting safer operations across the globe.
IATA also emphasized that baggage handling is being modernized through a 10-year Global Baggage Roadmap focused on digital messaging, end-to-end tracking, and automation. This includes support for Resolution 753 implementation, enhanced fraud prevention tools, and updated baggage handling standards. Mejstrikova noted that modern baggage operations are essential to improving the passenger experience, and the roadmap will lead to more automated and digitalized baggage services.
Building a sustainable and inclusive future for ground operations is another central focus. Electrifying Ground Support Equipment (GSE) can reduce emissions by up to 48% per turnaround. To support this transition, IATA has issued detailed guidance on operational planning, battery management, infrastructure readiness, and safety, along with economic modeling tools to inform smarter investment decisions. Accessibility is also a key priority. IATA is collaborating with regulators and manufacturers to enhance handling procedures for more than 400 types of mobility aids, many of which contain lithium batteries. These actions are part of a broader push to ensure inclusivity and sustainability are embedded throughout the aviation journey.
