Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) has achieved IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO) registration for its headquarters in North America, confirming its compliance with aviation industry best practices and standards for ground safety.
ISAGO is an internationally recognised system for assessing the operational management and control systems of organisations that provide ground handling services for airlines.
The ISAGO registration validates WFS’ Management System in North America, where WFS provides cargo and ground handling services for over 130 airlines at 114 airport stations.
“ISAGO underpins our number one core value of safety and security. It is a vital industry standard because it enables ground handling service providers like WFS to operate to a single global standard which contributes to safer operations and a reduction in accidents,” said David Clark, WFS’ Global Head of Health, Safety, Security & Environment.
“Our registration confirms we have an effective Safety Management System in operation which is based on IATA (International Air Transport Association) and ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation) principles.
“ISAGO gives WFS, our customers, and all our stakeholders, the assurance that we are working to a full set of IATA-compliant operational procedures and training programs, at ISAGO accredited Seattle airport.”
The ISAGO application process includes a detailed Headquarters Audit as well as station audits to verify documented and operational conformance to over 800 standards across six different areas of discipline.
In preparation for its ISAGO assessment, WFS reviewed its training programs, operational procedures manuals and management system processes. This included the enhancement of its ‘Pulse’ and ‘Esafe’ management software tools to support Safety, Training & Quality monitoring.
The ISAGO registration covers the scope of all of WFS’ business lines in North America: ramp handling, aircraft ground movements, passenger services and baggage handling, cargo operations, load control, and quality and safety management.
It also supports airline customers when auditing their ground handling suppliers by reducing the number of audits they need to perform, resulting in a cost savings, as well as providing confidence that efficient processes are in place to improve quality standards and lower the risk of incidents or damage in high-risk areas within ground operations
Mike Simpson, EVP Americas at WFS, commented: “As a global leader in air logistics, we have a safety culture across our end-to-end business.
“This results in a safer working environment for our people and customers and significantly reduces the risk of incidents.
“It also gives us a safety benchmark to continuously monitor the resilience of our operations and drive improvements in our safety capability.
“ISAGO registration is a tribute to our teams at airports across North America who strictly follow and uphold our safety commitments every single day.”
