Pictured: Fabio Gamba, Director General of ASA
The acknowledgement was made at the 232nd session of the ICAO Council on 10 June, formalising access for the ASA and its members to relevant ICAO meetings, provide a formal platform for ground handlers to contribute to the development of international aviation standards and show appreciation of the ground handling industry.
Fabio Gamba, Director General of ASA says the recognition is timely as ICAO has released a Manual on Ground Handling (Doc. 10121), which is widely used by the authorities and ground handlers.
He said: “We are ready to roll up our sleeves and give ICAO all the support necessary to help the Ground Handling Task Force achieve its objectives. Not to mention that, as ICAO is about to celebrate its 80th anniversary, we will gladly join in celebrating this important moment.”
Gamba says recognition is the starting point as ground handling is mostly an unregulated industry around the world and this creates inconsistencies, which can hinder operations and cause problems for ramp workers.
He said: “We’ve seen progress with the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and their Rulemaking Task on Ground Handling, which is set to result in a new regulation for the European Union. However, global harmonisation is still needed, and this is where ASA’s role, in partnership with ICAO, becomes crucial.”
