IATA accreditation is subject to a number of pre-requisites. These criteria must continue to be met in order to ensure retention of the IATA Accreditation:
Premises
The place of business under application shall be open for business on a regular basis, be identified and trade as a travel agency. A place of business which does not meet these conditions may nevertheless be approved it if meets all other qualifications and is:
- solely devoted to the organising of Inclusive Tours and performs the issuance of Traffic Documents related to such Inclusive Tours only, or a Branch Office Location situated on the premises of an organisation, plant or
- commercial firm and dedicated substantially to the travel requirements of that organisation, plant or commercial firm, or a Satellite Ticket Printer Location.
- not located in office space jointly occupied with another travel agency, an Accredited Agent or an air carrier.
Security of Premises
The premises of each approved location holding stocks of Traffic Documents, and the safe/strong-room used on such premises to store Traffic Documents, shall be in accordance with the following minimum standards or their acceptable equivalent as may be laid down by the Passenger Agency Conference:
- all normal access points to the premises of each approved location shall be efficiently secured when the premises are not attended by authorised personnel of the Agent;
- all other possible access points to the premises such as skylights, windows, etc., shall be secured with strong metal mesh or bars;
- premises shall be protected by:
- a burglar alarm system, or
- other security arrangements;
- in either case, to a standard acceptable to the Passenger Agency Conference. The premises of approved locations shall be subject to periodic inspection.
Safe
Each approved location's working supply of unissued Traffic Documents shall, when not in use, should be locked in a steel safe weighing not less than 182 kgs and bolted, cemented or otherwise secured to the floor or wall to preclude movement within or quick removal from the premises. The use of a strong-room installed on the premises in place of such safe or that of a bigger safe of not less than 500 kgs (not necessarily secured to the floor or wall) is permissible provided written authorisation of the Agency Services Manager.
In addition to maintaining the security standards prescribed in this paragraph, Agents shall ensure that Traffic Documents and Agents' Validator Plates are not accessible to unauthorised persons, or left unprotected.
Staff Qualifications (except TAH 818 countries)
The applicant must have in its employment at least one competent, qualified staff member to be present at the place of business under application during the working hours of such place of business. Qualified Staff must meet the criteria of competence and experience determined by the Agency Programme Joint Council in respect of the country where such place of business is located.
Finances
Only companies and firms that are financially sound will be approved.
The applicant shall submit independently produced financial statements prepared in accordance with local accounting practices as specified by the Council and published in the Handbook. Such statements shall be evaluated and found satisfactory pursuant to the methodology and standards established from time to time by the Agency Programme Joint Council. To obtain a satisfactory evaluation, the applicant may be required to provide additional financial support in the form of recapitalization or of a bank or insurance guarantee.
Check out further financial and other criteria applicable to your country from the Accreditation forms page.
Name
The name used by an applicant must not be same as or misleadingly similar to that of an IATA Member Airline, or IATA itself. The place of business must not be identified as an office of a Member or a group of Member Airlines.
Business Standards
The applicant, or any of its managers, principal shareholders (or persons for whom they act as nominees), directors or officers shall have no record of wilful violations of fiduciary obligations incurred in the course of business nor be undischarged bankrupts.
Management
No person who is a director of or who holds a financial interest or a position of management in the applicant shall have been a director of, or had a financial interest or held a position of management in, an Agent which has been removed from the Agency List or is under notice of default, and still has outstanding commercial debts, or in such an Agent whose commercial debts were met solely or in part by recourse to a financial bond or guarantee; provided that the applicant may nevertheless be approved if the Agency Services Manager is satisfied that such person did not participate in the acts or omissions that caused such removal or default or if he is satisfied that the applicant can be relied upon to comply with the terms of the Sales Agency Agreement and other Resolutions of the Conference.
An applicant may nevertheless be approved if the Agency Services Manager is satisfied that such person did not participate in the acts or omissions that caused such removal or default or if he is satisfied that the applicant can be relied upon to comply with the terms of the Sales Agency Agreement and other Resolutions of the Conference.
General Sales Agency
Applicants must not be appointed by an air carrier as a General Sales Agent for the country concerned or for any part thereof. (A General Sales Agent is one to whom an airline has delegated general authority to represent it for purposes of overseeing sales in a defined territory and who is remunerated accordingly).
General
In respect of the issue of Traffic Documents after approval, an Agent shall comply with the provisions of Resolution 822 to the extent that they affect the Agent's obligations or actions.
Where officially required, the applicant must be in possession of a valid licence to trade.
All material statements in the application must be accurate and complete.