dnata becomes first ground services provider to gain IATA’s CEIV lithium battery certification across 11 stations globally

– dnata, a leading global air and travel services provider, has received the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) Centre of Excellence for Independent Validators (CEIV) accreditation for the safe and compliant handling of lithium batteries.

This achievement underlines the company’s commitment to meeting rigorous safety standards and regulatory requirements in the handling of potentially hazardous materials.

dnata’s journey with IATA’s CEIV lithium battery programme began in April 2023. Less than 12 months later, it has become the first ground services provider to certify 11 of its worldwide stations, which all took part in a comprehensive audit process. The company’s stations in Australia and Pakistan were the first to complete the assessment phase, followed by Singapore, Belgium, the UK, and UAE. The IATA certification ceremony for these stations took place at the recent World Cargo Symposium in Hong Kong.

dnata’s receipt of full accreditation provides its customers with a guarantee of quality and safety, ensuring consistency throughout its operations.

Guillaume Crozier, dnata’s Senior Vice President, UAE Cargo and Global Cargo Strategy, said: “We are pleased to achieve IATA’s CEIV Lithium Battery accreditation, a testament to our commitment to safety and compliance. This recognition underscores our ongoing efforts to maintain the highest standards in the handling of dangerous goods, ensuring the safety of our operations and the satisfaction of our customers.”

Brendan Sullivan, IATA’s Global Head of Cargo, said: “The volume of air shipments containing lithium batteries is rising. Ensuring these items are transported safely and efficiently is a top priority for the industry. Key to this is complying with regulatory changes and the integration of best practices in lithium battery handling across the supply chain. This is why CEIV Lithium Batteries was established.

“We commend dnata for being the first Ground Handling Agent to achieve CEIV lithium battery certification across its network of 11 hubs. This accomplishment not only benefits dnata's customers by guaranteeing their shipments are handled with utmost efficiency and safety, but also sets a quality benchmark for the industry.”

In recent years, dnata has significantly invested in training and process improvement to further enhance safety and improve efficiency in the handling of dangerous goods. In 2021, it became the first global air services provider to adopt IATA’s Dangerous Goods Autocheck (DG Autocheck) platform for the acceptance of dangerous goods shipments. In December 2023, dnata was further accredited with IATA’s Corporate Certification for competency-based training and assessment (CBTA) for Dangerous Goods.

dnata is a leading global air and travel services provider. Established in 1959, the company offers quality and safe ground handling, cargo, travel, catering and retail services in over 30 countries across six continents. In the financial year 2022-23, dnata’s customer-oriented teams handled over 710,000 aircraft turns, moved over 2.7 million tonnes of cargo, uplifted 111.4 million meals, and recorded a total transaction value (TTV) of travel services of US$ 1.9 billion.

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