Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited (Hactl) has secured IATA’s new Competency-Based Training and Assessment (CBTA) Center Certification – becoming the first cargo terminal operator in Hong Kong to do so. 

Hong Kong’s largest independent cargo handler said it has been an IATA Accredited Training School (ATS) since 2003, offering training both for its own staff and those of third parties including airlines, freight forwarders, industry organisations and educational institutions.

 Photo: Hactl

In a statement, Hactl explained that following an agreement by the ICAO Dangerous Goods Panel in September 2019, IATA Dangerous Goods training has been evolving from traditional learning to the new, skills-based competency-based training and assessment format.

The 63rd edition of the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) includes guidance on competency-based training and assessment (CBTA), which becomes mandatory from January 1, 2023.

Hactl said having received both CBTA Corporate and CBTA Provider accreditations, Hactl is certified to continue providing DGR training to employees, as well as external clients.

"The new IATA CBTA accreditation aligns with ICAO's revised policy on training for the carriage of dangerous goods by air, providing a more meaningful format for future DGR training," said Brendan Sullivan, IATA’s Global Head of Cargo.

"We are delighted that Hactl has become an early adopter of the new CBTA training format, this achievement is a testament to their commitment to providing high quality and effective training to their workforce."

"We are very pleased to confirm that they are Hong Kong’s first handler to achieve full compliance," Sullivan further said.

Wilson Kwong, Hactl's chief executive welcomed the certification.

"We are proud to receive this confirmation of Hactl's new certification, and that we are the first cargo terminal operator in Hong Kong to comply with the new standard," Kwong said.

"While our comprehensive knowledge, experience and resources in DGR training gave us an excellent foundation, it has been necessary for us to further enrich some aspects of our training programmes in order to meet CBTA's more precise and comprehensive definitions of the various Dangerous Goods job functions."

"We pride ourselves in always providing the highest possible standard of Dangerous Goods training, and are therefore pleased to support this new CBTA approach, which we believe further advances the cause of aviation safety."

Hactl, based at SuperTerminal 1,  is Hong Kong's largest cargo handling facility, with an annual design capacity of 3.5 million tonnes. 

It provides scheduled road feeder services to/from 9 key points in southern China's important Greater Bay region and operates an e-commerce fulfilment centre on-airport.