Kenya Airways, the East African country’s national flag carrier, announced on Thursday that it, and its Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (Nairobi) hub, have been accredited by the IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO). IATA stands for the International Air Transport Association (the global representative body for the airline industry) and ISAGO certifies ground handling services.

“We are excited about this achievement,” highlighted Kenya Airways director safety, quality, and environment Captain Haig Anyonyi. “The ISAGO station accreditation is an important milestone for Kenya Airways, reflecting our continuous pursuit of excellence in all aspects of our operations.”

The audit involved rigorous assessments carried out by independent ISAGO auditors. It covered the gamut of ground handling operations, including baggage handling and aircraft loading, as well as the application of safety protocols, to ensure the safety and security of passengers, goods and aircraft.

“This accreditation will provide confidence to our passengers, customer airlines, and the regulators on our safety, security and quality measures of ground handling services,” he affirmed. “We are dedicated to ensuring that our passengers experience world-class service to all our customers.”

IATA launched the ISAGO programme in 2008, as a response to requests from its member airlines. It was created to address the safety risks and incident costs of ground operations.

“[T]he primary objective of ISAGO is to improve the safety of ground operations through the oversight of the implementation of management systems within a [ground handling service provider] and driving adoption of standardized operational procedures,” explained IATA on its website. “ISAGO is also a cost-effective alternative to the audits conducted by airlines, airports, and regulators of ground operations, reducing duplication and cost of oversight.”

For its operational management and control systems, Kenya Airways has been certified under the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) since 2009. IOSA was introduced some 20 years ago and has become the airline industry’s benchmark for safety auditing. There is also the IATA Standard Safety Assessment, for small carriers operating small (for example, single-engine) aircraft.