ATS (Tonga) holds ground handling contracts with all international carriers into Tonga.

After completing an audit, the company was entered onto the International Air Transport Association’s register for the IATA Safety Audit Ground Operations certificate (ISAGO).

“ATS (Fiji) is the only other Ground Service Provider 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,” the company stated.

It said 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, head of one of three international agencies for ISAGO, conducted the audit of ATS in March this year. He presented the certificate to ATS on 16 October 2024, at a special awards evening held at Ancient Tonga.

This year, in August, ATS celebrated 20 years of service in Tonga.

“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 and Lupepau’u airports,” it said.