ASAM SA is First Malian Company to Become ISAGO Certified
Bamako, Mali – December 15, 2016 -- Following a six-month in-depth audit, IATA (International Air Transport Association) has officially ISAGO (IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations) certified the Malian airport assistance company, ASAM SA. ASAM SA best practices and safety ground operations at Bamako Airport in Mali are now approved by one of the most highly regarded authority in the aviation industry. Paired with the European Union RA3 validation received in June 2015, this latest certification reinforces ASAM SA position as one of the key players in the aviation industry contributing to Mali economic and international rise.
A Certification Validating Commitment and Compliance with Global Standardized Practices
Launched in 2008, ISAGO program aims to drastically reduce aircraft damage and personal injuries. Airlines and airport assistance companies voluntarily apply to the certification program and, as expressed on IATA dedicated webpage, ISAGO “has been built upon a 'backbone' of audit standards applicable to all ground handling companies worldwide” and is designed to improve overall ground operations safety. As one of the key stages of a flight, ground operations cover a large scope of activities and are in need of global standards and best practices. Therefore, ISAGO has set standardized processes for six registered services:
- Organization and Management
- Load Control
- Passenger and Baggage Handling
- Aircraft Handling and Loading
- Aircraft Ground Movement
- Cargo and Mail Handling
This two-year certification gives ASAM SA an opportunity to attract new airlines to Bamako Airport.
“ISAGO certifies the quality of our services on ASAM-S.A's core business: airport assistance. This solid background will enable us to broaden our activities to training and line maintenance,” states Dominique Dreuil, managing director of ASAM SA.
This certification enables ASAM SA to:
- Improve operational ground operations safety at Bamako Sénou airport.
- Reduce damage to aircraft and equipment.
- Increase efficiency (less redundant audits from airlines).
The RA3 Validation and ISAGO Certification Open New Opportunities for Bamako Airport
Thanks to ASAM SA, the Republic of Mali, a country with political and safety tensions, joins for the first time the ISAGO network. For the past few months, the eighth-largest country in Africa has been working hard to change its image and organizes valuable forums to attract foreign investors such as Investing in Mali on Dec. 5 and the 27th Africa-France Summit coming in January 2017.
ASAM SA latest approvals are strong symbols of both Mali and West Africa dynamic development.
“This certification of ASAM SA best practices rewarded years of investments and hard work to bring our processes to international approved standards. We will continue to promote airport assistance highest quality and safety, and thus contribute to the economic rise of Mali,” comments Dreuil.
About ASAM SA
Since 2007, ASAM SA, a Malian joint-venture company resulting from a public/private partnership associated with the Europe Handling Group, provides and develops ground handling, airport cargo and line maintenance operations at airports of Bamako, Mopti, Kayes, Timbuktu and Gao in Mali. With its 460 employees, ASAM SA assists more than 25,000 flights and 12,000 tons of cargo each year in compliance with the international standards of IATA and ICAO. In June 2015, ASAM SA is the first airport assistance company in West Africa to have been validated RA3, authorizing and securing exports to Europe and beyond, in compliance with the regulations of the European Union.
