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The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has urged for increased adoption of global standards and for moving towards advanced ground handling equipment (GSE) and digitalization within the industry. The move will help enhance safety, efficiency, sustainability, and resilience in the field of ground handling. The announcement was made during the 38th edition of the IATA Ground Handling Conference (IGHC), which kicked off in Cairo under the auspices of EgyptAir.
“While ground handling is usually invisible to passengers, its impact on their travel experience is obvious when something goes wrong. Be it a delay in receiving baggage, damage to aircraft, a mistake in loading, or a problem with turnaround. Such incidents take only a few minutes, but their consequences can affect a whole network. Increased implementation of standards, advanced equipment, and digitalization are essential foundations of future ground handling operations,” explained Monika Mejstrikova, IATA’s Director Ground Operations.
According to the recent statistics on ground handling safety by IATA, there have been no fatalities and only one serious injury reported from ground handling in 2025, among nearly 40 million flights. Standards are essential for ensuring safe and efficient ground operations. The IGOM and the AHM are considered critical guidelines for all airlines and ground handling service providers (GHSPs). As per IATA, there is a need to move faster towards the implementation of these standards, avoid any unnecessary variations, and increase the utilization of audit programs like ISAGO.
Damage to aircraft on the ground is one of the most enduring operational and financial hazards in ground handling, with nearly 29,000 incidents of aircraft ground damage occurring in 2025. However, unless we manage to decrease the frequency of such cases, the expenses will escalate as our industry continues to grow. Modernization, however, involves much more than just ensuring that our equipment is safe. It must also be environmentally friendly. “One of the two priorities is a move towards improved GSE and electric GSE,” said Mejstrikova.
Disjointed data, manual work, and delayed data are still significant obstacles to improved safety and efficiency in ground handling.
“Ground handling processes continue to depend heavily on disjointed systems, manual entries, and delayed data. This gap in the availability of data creates chances for errors, lost luggage, misloaded planes, and the identification of hazards late in the process. Data leads to greater visibility and decision-making,” said Mejstrikova.
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Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport has commenced commercial operations, marking a major milestone for aviation, trade and logistics connectivity in North Andhra Pradesh. Developed and operated by GMR Visakhapatnam International Airport Limited (GVIAL), the new airport is positioned to strengthen the region’s role as the “Gateway of the East” and support its integration with domestic and international markets. The airport’s first day of commercial operations featured a series of milestone flights connecting Visakhapatnam with destinations across India, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. The inaugural services included IndiGo flights between Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam, marking the first flight of the day, while IndiGo’s Abu Dhabi-Visakhapatnam service represented the first Indian carrier international flight. Scoot’s Singapore-Visakhapatnam service marked the first international carrier operation. The first arrivals of Air India Express, Air India, IndiGo, Scoot and India One were welcomed with ceremonial water cannon salutes. With 52 planned air traffic movements (ATMs) on Day One, the airport began operations with significant activity across passenger and airline services. Union Minister for Civil Aviation Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu joined senior dignitaries and airport stakeholders to mark the commencement. During the celebrations, he handed over boarding passes to passengers on the inaugural IndiGo and Air India Express flights and presented commemorative mementoes. For the supply chain and logistics sector, the airport’s infrastructure could become an important enabler of regional connectivity and cargo movement. Its 3,800-metre Code 4E runway is designed to accommodate wide-body aircraft, providing scope for future expansion of international services and air cargo operations. The facility is also expected to support trade, tourism, investment and employment across North Andhra Pradesh. Kanwarbir Singh Kalra, CEO of GVIAL, described the commencement as a transformational moment for the region, highlighting the years of planning, engineering, regulatory compliance and operational preparation behind the project. He said the airport would work to expand connectivity while providing a safe and seamless travel experience. Inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 1, 2026, the airport has an initial annual passenger capacity of 6 million. Its master plan provides for phased expansion to more than 40 million passengers per annum. With its combination of passenger infrastructure, wide-body aircraft capability and planned air cargo development, Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport is set to play a larger role in Andhra Pradesh’s emerging aviation and logistics ecosystem, strengthening connections between the eastern seaboard, national markets and international trade corridors. 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐓𝐮𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 CARGOCONNECT 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐮𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬!
Saudi Arabia's Riyadh Air has commenced daily flights between Riyadh and Mumbai, marking its entry into the Indian market while adding new air cargo capacity to one of the region's busiest trade corridors. The new Boeing 787-9 service is designed to support both passenger travel and belly-hold freight, strengthening commercial links between India and Saudi Arabia. The Mumbai route forms part of Riyadh Air's international network expansion as the airline continues to build connectivity across South Asia. The carrier is also scheduled to introduce additional services to Dhaka, Islamabad and Lahore during August, further extending its regional footprint. For the air cargo sector, the new service increases available capacity for shipments moving between the two countries. The daily widebody operation is expected to benefit industries that rely on time-sensitive logistics, including pharmaceuticals, perishables, engineering products, e-commerce and high-value manufacturing goods. India and Saudi Arabia have witnessed steady growth in bilateral trade in recent years, driving demand for additional passenger and cargo connectivity. Mumbai, one of India's largest commercial and logistics hubs, is expected to serve as a key gateway for freight moving between South Asia, the Middle East and onward international markets. The launch also aligns with Saudi Arabia's broader aviation strategy to position Riyadh as a global air transport hub by expanding international connectivity and increasing cargo handling capacity. For Indian exporters and freight forwarders, the additional daily service provides greater scheduling flexibility and network options for shipments destined for Saudi Arabia and other markets accessible through Riyadh. Follow CARGOCONNECT for more such updates.
Saudia Cargo and Riyadh Cargo announced the signing of an interline agreement that will strengthen cargo connectivity, expand network reach, and provide customers with greater access to international markets via Saudi Arabia. The agreement brings together the complementary strengths of both carriers, combining Saudia Cargo’s established cargo presence and expertise with Riyadh Cargo’s expanding global network and digitally native operating model. The arrangement will also support the continued expansion of Riyadh Cargo’s network beyond current direct services to London, Dubai, Cairo, Jeddah, Madrid, and Malaga, while strengthening connectivity to upcoming destinations including Mumbai, Kuala Lumpur, and Dhaka. This collaboration supports Riyadh Cargo long-term ambition to serve more than 100 global destinations by 2030. Eng. Mansour Alasmi, VP - Network & Revenue, Saudia Cargo, praised this collaboration stating: “By combining Saudia Cargo's established expertise and global capabilities with Riyadh Cargo's future ambitions, we will provide our customers with more integrated solutions to facilitate trade. This aligns with our joint efforts to transform the Kingdom into a premier global logistics hub, while driving sustainable growth for both organizations. Pravin Singh, VP - Cargo, Riyadh Air, said, “As Riyadh Air builds a global airline from the heart of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh Cargo has a clear ambition to become a modern, digitally enabled, and reliable cargo business serving customers across key international markets. This agreement supports that ambition by extending our reach, opening new trade opportunities, and helping position Riyadh as an important gateway in the future of global logistics.” Hence, by expanding available cargo capacity and improving the flow of goods across international markets, the agreement will give freight forwarders and logistics partners more efficient and reliable cargo solutions, while extending both carriers’ network reach beyond their own operations. The partnership also supports Saudi Arabia’s ambition to become a leading global logistics hub, in line with the National Transport and Logistics Strategy and Saudi Vision 2030 by strengthening the Kingdom’s global connectivity and reinforcing Riyadh and Jeddah as complementary gateways for trade. 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐓𝐮𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 CARGOCONNECT 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐮𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬!
