The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has recently launched a program that would reduce audit complexity and duplication in cargo handling.

In a statement, IATA said under its new Smart Facility Operational Capacity Audit Certification (SFOC Audit Certification) program, there will be a significant reduction in redundant cargo handling audits across the industry.

"It is estimated 360,000 days per year are wasted annually on redundant cargo handling audits. The SFOC Audit Certification program aims to reduce redundant efforts across the industry by 50% through removing the need to validate generic cargo operation procedures," the airline association said.

The second part of the initiative is the Audit Reduction Commitment (ARC) – an industry pledge to reduce audits. IATA said airlines participating in the SFOC programme will undertake a gap analysis to determine which audit standards will not need to be assessed for SFOC certified facilities. The revised audit scope is then defined through the ARC.

Individual airlines will also provide clear visibility on the potential audit reduction for SFOC certified facilities, ensuring there is a solid mechanism to eliminate redundant audits. 

“Auditing is critical to ensure the global standards that underpin safe and efficient operations in the aviation industry. IATA’s strong capabilities in auditing have been proven in the successful IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) and CEIV programs. The SFOC program will bring this expertise to general cargo handling operations,” said Glyn Hughes, IATA’s global head of cargo.

Singapore will be the initial focal point for this new initiative with SATS Ltd and Singapore Airlines being the first organizations to join the SFOC program.

“The SFOC certification, which we have worked closely with IATA to refine, allows us to sharpen the focus of our own audits of our handling agents. This zooms in on SIA--specific procedures, and enabling even greater emphasis on safety and security.  The combination of both the SFOC audits and our own audits serves to provide a comprehensive picture of our service partners’ capabilities and operational quality, while improving audit efficiency for us and our service partners,” said Chin Yau Seng, Senior Vice President Cargo, Singapore Airlines.

Yacoob Piperdi, CEO, SATS Gateway Services added: “SATS is delighted to be the world’s first cargo ground handler worldwide to achieve the IATA SFOC Certification. We are delighted to have Singapore Airlines as our partner and the first carrier to commit to ARC. The certification affirms SATS’ consistent standards and the quality of our service.  We hope other airlines will follow this example to realize the SFOC program’s full audit efficiencies for the entire industry.”