ASAM-S.A becomes first Malian company to be certified by ISAGO

Following a 6-months 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 S.A 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-S.A 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 standardised practices

Launched in 2008, the 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 sstandardised processes for 6 registered services:

• Organisation and Management
• Load Control
• Passenger and Baggage Handling
• Aircraft Handling and Loading
• Aircraft Ground Movement
• Cargo and Mail Handling

This 2-year certification gives ASAM-S.A 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-S.A. Highly-trusted by airlines, this certification enables ASAM-S.A 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 S-A, 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 organises valuable forums to attract foreign investors such as Investing in Mali on Dec.5^th, the 27^th Africa-France Summit in January 2017, etc. ASAM-S.A latest approvals are strong symbols of both Mali and West Africa dynamic development.

“This certification of ASAM-S.A 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 Dominique Dreuil, ASAM-S.A Managing Director.