Safer ground operations

Audit efficiency and global harmonization

The ISAGO Strategy is a five years plan (2013-2018)  developed by ISAGO stakeholders back in 2012. It was endorsed by the ISAGO Oversight Council (GOC) and IATA Operations Committee (OPC).  It defines the vision and mission of the ISAGO program and its primary focus and aim including benefits, program efficiency and relevancy.  It comprises several pillars:

• Audit Allocation
• Standards simplification and further development
• IGOM Implementation
• Risk based approach to audits
• Audit Process simplification
• Audit resources management
• Training and Auditor Qualification process
• Harmonization of audit program procedures
• Sustainability by:
  shaping regulatory framework
  working with regulators and airports to bring the airlines’ and GSPs perspective

For each of these pillars, objectives and priorities are defined and reviewed on annual basis. Deliverables represent various frameworks, processes, practices/procedures and industry statements and policies that are developed by the Pool members and Ground Service Providers in cooperation with IATA and other Industry Partners. The GOC reports periodically to OPC on the progress of development and implementation of the ISAGO Strategy.

The ISAGO Oversight Council (GOC) is an entity within the IATA governance that acts as advisor to the  Operations Commitee (OPC), lATA management and other relevant lATA bodies on all matters that relate to the ISAGO program.

The ISAGO Active Pool Members

A number of IATA Member Airlines have formed an active “pool” to commit auditors to carry out ISAGO audits with the intention that Pool Members share audit reports, thereby saving themselves the cost and effort of conducting their own audits at all of their airports. The Audit Pool has worldwide representation, which aims to improve ground safety and avoid redundant audits by sharing audit reports among pool member airlines. ISAGO Pool membership is open to all IATA and non-IATA airlines that are IOSA registered. Membership is free of charge. A list of current Pool members is available here.
IATA manages the Audit Pool and assigns ISAGO audits in the most efficient and practical manner. Pool members perform the audits of GSPs that provide services to them or at locations where the airline operates. All audits are to be conducted in English.

What are the benefits for the active pool?

• Reduction in number of redundant audits
• More efficient processes and improved quality standards
• Better understanding of high-risk areas within ground operations
• Lower risk of ground damage
• Reduction of incidents and accidents
• Fewer injuries to personnel
• A standardized ISAGO checklist is used that is developed and updated by IATA in cooperation with the industry Task Force
• A quality control check is performed on every report prior sharing it with Pool members
• Quality assurance oversight is performed by IATA to ensure a consistent approach to auditing

The ISAGO Passive Members

Passive member Airlines do not actively participate in the operation of the ISAGO audit pool. Passive member Airlines only buy the final Audit Reports concerning ISAGO registered GSPs.

How to become an ISAGO Passive member?

Before scheduling an ISAGO Audit

If you want your ground handling company to schedule, undergo and successfully complete an ISAGO audit, then complete the following steps:

1. Download the ISAGO Standards Manual (pdf)
2. Familiarize the Corporate Managers with the Organization and Management (ORM-H or ORM-HS) standards
3. Familiarize the Operations Personnel with the standards, a provider is eligible for ISAGO registration if they provide one of the following services:

• Load Control (LOD)
• Passenger and Baggage Handling (PAB)
• Aircraft handling and loading (HDL)
• Aircraft ground movement (AGM)
• Cargo and mail handling (CGM)
1. Register for the ISAGO extranet page 
2. Access will only be granted if an official company email address is provided
3. Please familiarize yourself with the site. Our official audit management system is called IAWMS (ISAGO Audit Web Management System). All necessary information and guidance material will be available on the ISAGO extranet

Schedule an ISAGO Audit - The Road to registration

1. Audit ​Requests for a particular year must be submitted at the latest by September 30th of the preceding y​ear. IATA then processes all requests in the month of October and finalizes next year’s audit schedule during November each year
   
2. If you wish to be audited in the current year but were not able to submit your audit request in the previous year, you are entitled for an off-pool audit. Audit request are opened for a two week bidding process in order to determine the auditing entity who submitted the lowest bid
   

Training for ground handlers is available to assist in the preparation for an ISAGO audit.

Find out which companies which have undergone an ISAGO audit at the ISAGO Registry.

Wish to Request an ISAGO Audit Report?

Regulatory and airport authorities may request an ISAGO Audit Report (GOAR) from IATA.

The ISAGO Audit Report (GOAR) remains at all times the property of the ISAGO active pool and also the Provider in case of an off-pool audit.  IATA acts as custodian of the Report for the purposes of audit sharing under the provisions of the ISAGO Program Manual.  In order to maintain the security and confidentiality of the ISAGO Audit Reports, a party requesting access to an Audit Report (the Requestor) must apply for such access firstly by completing the GOAR Request Form (doc).

Note: Interested parties addressed in this provision include:

• Airport authorities that mandate ISAGO for their Providers
• Regulators of countries that mandate ISAGO for their airports
• The GSP that was audited

ISAGO Documents

• ISAGO Standards Manual - Ed6 (pdf)
• ISAGO Cheklists - Ed6 (zip)
• ISAGO Mandatory Observation checklists - Ed6 (zip)
• ISAGO Standards Manual - Ed5 (pdf)
  
• ISAGO Checklists - Ed 5 (zip)
• ISAGO SMS Strategy Ed 1 - 2016 (pdf)
  
• ISAGO SMS Strategy Ed 2 - 2017 (pdf)
• ISAGO SMS Audit Guidlines - July, 2016 (pdf)
• ISAGO SMS Audit Guidlines - June, 2017 (pdf)
• ISAGO for Airlines (pdf)
• ISAGO Program manual - Ed 2 (pdf)
• IATA Reference Manual for Audit Programs Ed8 (pdf)
• ISAGO Q5AIMS Auditee Manual Ed4 (pdf)
• ISAGO Q5AIMS Auditor Manual Ed3 (pdf)