ATS (Tonga) achieves highest international accreditation for airport ground handling
In October 2024 Air Terminal Services (Tonga) Limited (ATS) was entered onto the International Air Transport Association’s register as having completed and achieved the highest available award being the IATA Safety Audit Ground Operations certificate (ISAGO).
ATS (Fiji) is the only other Ground Service Provider (GSP) in the Pacific to be so registered. There are now over 300 GSPs with ISAGO worldwide as part of the effort of the International Civil Aviation Organisation and IATA to standardize the ground handling procedures and processes throughout aviation.
ATS embarked on the programme to be registered in 2019 and, while the Covid pandemic meant there were delays, it is normally a two-to-five-year process to gain the accreditation.
Mr Rene de Boer of the Netherlands, who heads one of three international agencies for ISAGO, conducted the audit of ATS in March this year. Mr de Boer presented the certificate to ATS on Wednesday 16 October, 2024, at a special awards evening held at Ancient Tonga for all aviation interests in the Kingdom to celebrate this major milestone.
ATS holds ground handling contracts with all international carriers into Tonga as all are to utilize ISAGO registered GSPs where they are available. ATS also completed 20 years of service to Tonga’s aviation in August this year and now embarks on furthering its contribution. ATS is a local Tongan company with the shareholders being the EM Jones Group, TETA Tours and Pacific Forum Line, all of which were ground handlers back in 2004 when the Government directed there be a single GSP to provide greater security of its international services into Fua’amotu Airport and Lupepau’u Airport.
Ms Emeline Fifita, the Acting Director of Civil Aviation, applauded ATS on its achievement and, with the airlines confirming contracts with ATS, looks forward to further collaboration with ISAGO in their regulatory role with through ICAO and the Tonga Civil Aviation Act.
__
