Ensuring fast, coordinated acquisition of regulatory knowledge across the organization

“The live virtual in-house training on CEIV Pharma boosted our understanding and enabled us to reach our certification goal sooner.”

Simona Ravera

Director of Sales, Life Sciences & Healthcare Solutions, EMEA; responsible for the CEIV Pharma certification program

With about 35% of their overall business in pharma transportation, it was important to BDP International to obtain a certification of their processes, so they could reassure their customers they had them covered in the constantly changing, logistically difficult situation caused by the pandemic.

Half the effort required for certification is in training, and they needed to train 20 people from multiple areas of the business, at the same time, so everyone understood the entire chain of responsibility and their part in it. These people had varying levels of experience: from beginners to decades in the industry. And they were located in three different cities in three different countries, each being an important pharma transportation center: Milan, Brussels and New York.

IATA Training offered the CEIV Pharma certification course in a LIVE virtual in-house training format, working with BDP International to find the best time for sessions (4pm Central European Time) to enable the entire team on both sides of the Atlantic to do the training together. The IATA trainer then adapted the teaching methodology to meet the needs of the participants with their varying levels of experience and different roles, keeping their attention through a high level of interaction. Having completed the training, the BDP employees knew what they needed to put into place to obtain the certification, and how to do it quickly. The training taught them the theory, and allowed them to practice it.

This EU agency needed all its staff to have adequate knowledge of passenger data in order to meets its goal, and this meant the most up-to-date information. With varying levels of knowledge, finding a course to suit everyone's needs is not easy.

IATA Training's courses are constantly updated, and our experts can customize them to fit organizations' individual needs. For this customer, we tailored the Passenger Data Exchange Programs (API/PNR) course to focus on the topics most important to participants. The instructor conducting the LIVE virtual in-house training in March 2021 then adapted the pace of delivery to accommodate participants, effectively enabling everyone to attain the same proficiency.

Improving team flexibility and ability to develop skills

“The live virtual in-house training on SIS gave us operational knowledge we could use right away, and showed us how to find the answers we need. We invested in the future of our department and our organization, improving the skill level and spreading risk linked to a concentration of knowledge.”

Mireille Kensmil

Head of Passenger Transport

In a crisis situation like the pandemic, particularly, keeping tight control of your cashflow is essential, and that means making sure you don't pay what isn't justified. With knowledge of the IATA Clearing House process concentrated in one single resource, the risk for Surinam Airways was high, and a costly error made a planned expansion of operational knowledge all the more urgent.

The IATA regional manager helped them identify that the most helpful training for them would be on IATA's Simplified Invoicing and Settlement (SIS) e-invoicing system. The course was customized to the airline's specifications, to improve on their existing knowledge, and going in depth into the things they do daily. The trainer correlated their reality with the theory, and held their hands through every option in the menu of the SIS environment, introducing them to options they weren't using. He also showed them how to navigate the manuals and reference materials, and explained the content of each of the webinars available online, so they are able to find answers to any questions that might arise in the future. The result was an efficient, flexible team, with the ability to grow their knowledge and develop their skills - a real investment in the future.

Shaping a business graduate into a valued aviation professional

Saudi Ground Services' Executive Vice-President explains their motivation:

“At SGS, we believe in investing in our talent and supporting them in gaining an in-depth understanding of the aviation industry, its best practices, and our market needs. This program was of great value, exceeding our expectations of the competency level SGS talents can gain through training.”

Captain Hashim

Executive Vice-President, Saudi Ground Services

Ahmed Alwaheedi relates how his competency was put to good use:

“While I was on the last stretch of the Diploma in Advanced Studies in Aviation Management, I was offered a new position in the Operations Standards, Procedures and Assurance section. My main objective was to get approval, from the General Authority of Civil Aviation, for our 650-page operations manual that covers everything we do at SGS. We'd been trying for the last seven years, and I was able to finally obtain the approval on my third attempt! This was a huge achievement, and I know I couldn't have done it if I hadn't taken the program. I put something of what I learned from all twelve modules of the Diploma into the manual: the gap analysis I started with, the project management, the understanding of different stakeholder perspectives, the safety management system knowledge especially, even the language I used to rewrite the manual. Now, I manage the section completely.

In addition to my direct promotion, I've been put in charge of SGS's Zero-Zero initiative (zero incidents, zero complaints), and I've been assigned Passenger Service Manager for international airlines at Riyadh's King Khaled International Airport, under the Zero-Zero initiative. Also, I'm using the knowledge I gained from the Diploma to help SGS management in its plans to expand operations. To grow internationally, our company will need to show an image of ground handling that fits with the expectations of airlines in different countries and cultures, and the understanding the Diploma has given me is very valuable.”

Ahmed Alwaheedi

Section Manager, Operations Standards and Procedures, Saudi Ground Services

Standardizing training to enable DGR-compliant operations faster and more easily

"Our staff are more confident in their work because what they learn is more relevant to their everyday jobs, and they are sure it applies for every airline. This in turn enables us to provide higher quality service, as well as reducing hazards in operations."

Mohamed Hassanain

Quality and Process Manager

As the leading Egyptian cargo service provider, CACC Cargolinx serves more than 20 of the top cargo air freight companies in the world when they visit Cairo International Airport.

To provide exceptional ground handling services, focused on the carrier, CACC Cargolinx was training its personnel in the individual requirements of every single airline - a challenging situation for both Cargolinx and the trainees. Having received Training Validation Program certification for ULD handling in 2019, they wanted to focus on dangerous goods handling in compliance with the DGR, using IATA's services to obtain guidance on standardizing their training through competency-based training and assessment (CBTA).

The consultants responsible for IATA Training Certification helped CACC Cargolinx understand CBTA, and how to implement it. The pilot assessment allowed them to test their new training approach, identifying the gaps and necessary corrective action. In three months, the cargo service provider had streamlined its dangerous goods training, giving existing staff greater confidence that they're doing the right thing, and enabling new staff to be operational more quickly. Feedback from existing customers has been very positive, with every carrier approving the industry-standard training, and CACC Cargolinx are also confident the certification will make their services even more attractive to potential new customers.

Equipping employees to provide cargo and passenger handling excellence

“We are proud to be the first ground handling company that has received TVP certification for both our Aviation Academy and for the Passenger Handling training. Achieving this milestone reinforces and validates our commitment to adhere to the highest standards we have set with our group training offering, which translates into superior quality in training and development, and compliance with industry training standards.”

Dave Dorner

CEO, Çelebi Group

In 2017, Çelebi Ground Handling launched the Çelebi Aviation Academy to ensure excellent ground handling services across its 40 stations in five countries, through standardizing the training it provides its more than 10,000 employees.

For the company, it was important to receive external advice and validation that their training was up to the standards of our highly regulated industry, and the IATA Training Validation Program fit the bill.

Building on its already strong procedures, and based on the recommendations received from IATA's experts, the company updated its training materials, for example to cover recent developments and non-standard events. In passenger handling at departure, these included baggage drop-off, self-check-in, late arrivals, and emergencies, thus enabling trainees to feel more confident about what they would encounter and what they should do. In June 2020, Çelebi Aviation Academy was certified by the IATA Training Validation Program as an official Center of Excellence in Training and Development, and received an additional Certificate of Validation for Passenger Handling training.