Worldwide Flight Services (WFS), a member of the SATS Group, said it has been awarded the IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO) accreditation for its cargo handling operations at London Heathrow Airport.

This follows an independent audit of its operational management and control systems in accordance with IATA's standards and practices for ground safety.

In the announcement, WFS said Heathrow is one of WFS' biggest international cargo stations, with seven facilities handling more than 350,000 tonnes a year for 14 global airlines, managing over 17,500 flights annually.   

Meanwhile, the International Air Transport Association's (IATA) ISAGO programme is an internationally recognised system for assessing the operational management and control systems of organisations that provide ground-handling services for airlines.

The audit assessed documented and operational conformance to over 800 standards across six different areas of discipline, including operational procedures manuals, management system processes, and training programmes.

WFS LHR, the audit involved station management system, aircraft handling & loading, aircraft ground movement and cargo & mail handling.

WFS noted that accreditation at Heathrow is now valid for two years.

"ISAGO accreditation verifies that our processes, procedures, and safety and security culture align with the core values created by IATA for the airline industry," said Paul Carmody, managing director of UK, WFS.

"As our cargo business continues to grow in the UK, our customers have the added assurance that we meet the recognized industry standards required to provide high-quality cargo handling as well as freighter aircraft handling," he added.

WFS said it increased its cargo handling capacity at Heathrow in 2023 to manage additional airline contracts and an increase in volume.

This included the opening of its latest Building 578 warehouse facility, reinforcing the company's position as the largest on-airport cargo handler at Heathrow.

WFS noted that in early 2023, WFS underwent an ISAGO audit for its initial ISAGO registration for its headquarters in London and initial station accreditation in LHR, validating WFS' Management System in the Europe region.