The International Air Transport Association (IATA) called for stronger implementation of global standards, a transition to modernised ground support equipment (GSE), and greater digitalisation in the ground handling sector during its 38th IATA Ground Handling Conference (IGHC) in Cairo, Egypt on Tuesday, 19th May.
According to IATA director of ground operations Monika Mejstrikova, this aims to support safer, more efficient, sustainable, and resilient ground handling.
Mejstrikova said: “Ground handling is often invisible to passengers, but when it goes wrong, everyone notices. A delayed bag, a damaged aircraft, a loading error, or a disrupted turnaround may last minutes, but the consequences can ripple across an entire network. Stronger implementation of standards, smarter equipment, and digitalization are the fundamentals that will make ground operations safer, more efficient, more sustainable and more resilient.”
A need to implement stronger standards
IATA’s latest ground handling safety data shows progress, with no fatal ground handling accidents and one serious injury recorded in 2025 across nearly 40 million flights.
Global standards are the foundation of safe and efficient ground operations; for airlines and ground handling service providers (GHSPs), the key reference points are the IATA Ground Operations Manual (IGOM) and the Airport Handling Manual (AHM).
IATA called on the industry to accelerate implementation, reduce unnecessary variations, and make greater use of audit programmes, such as the IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO), to strengthen operational discipline.
GSE fleet modernisation is imperative
Mejstrikova went on to say: “Aircraft ground damage is one of the most persistent operational and financial risks in ground handling, with more than 29,000 aircraft ground damage events reported in 2025. Unless we reduce the rate of these incidents, costs will multiply as the industry grows. But modernization is not only about making equipment safer. It is also about making it cleaner. Technology can help on both fronts. Two priorities are the transition to enhanced GSE and electric GSE.”
At the same time, fragmented data, manual processes, and delayed information remain major barriers to safer and more efficient ground handling.
Mejstrikova said: “Too many ground handling processes still rely on disconnected systems, manual inputs and delayed information. These gaps in data create opportunities for mistakes to happen, bags misplaced, aircraft loaded incorrectly and risks identified too late. Better data gives operators the visibility they need to enable faster, better decisions.”
