IATA certifies Cathay Cargo Terminal and Hactl for IEnvA

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has fully certified Cathay Cargo Terminal and Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited (Hactl), both handlers at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA), through its IATA Environmental Assessment (IEnvA) process.

The announcement was made at the IATA World Cargo Symposium (WCS) being held in Hong Kong this week.

Cathay Cargo Terminal and HACTL are the first cargo handlers in North Asia to achieve IEnvA certification.

A total of 60 companies from around the world, including airlines, airports and ground handling service providers, have achieved certification.

IATA’s IEnvA certification is only awarded following a comprehensive evaluation of a company’s environmental sustainability management systems and their plans for continual performance improvement.

It independently assesses the commitment of aviation stakeholders to continuously improve their environmental and sustainability performance, while maintaining operational excellence.

IEnvA acts as a global aviation standard for environmental management, and is aligned with ISO standards.

It also incorporates a full turnkey solution specific to aviation industry stakeholders, providing member organisations with the necessary tools for the implementation of the standards.

IEnvA supports organisations’ efforts to implement a systematic approach to identify, monitor, control, and continuously improve the environmental performance of their operations.

Marie Owens Thomsen, IATA’s senior vice president sustainability and chief economist, said that Cathay Cargo Terminal and Hactl’s commitment to sustainable aviation “sets a strong example for the industry and demonstrates the positive impact of IEnvA certification in the cargo space”.

She continued: “IEnvA provides definitive guidance, aligned with internationally accepted management standards, to efficiently and effectively address a wide spectrum of sustainability issues facing the aviation industry.

“Adopting IEnvA standards allows the certified organisations to effectively focus their resources on improving their environmental performance and make use of tried and proven best practices.

“IEnvA certification will support Cathay Cargo Terminal and Hactl to drive sustainability, build trust, and deliver positive impact.​​​​”

IATA’s sustainability standards and audits senior manager, Quintin Holder, pointed out: “In IEnvA, we empower organisations like Cathay Cargo Terminal and Hactl to align environmental goals with operational excellence.

“We believe that sustainability shouldn’t come at the expense of efficiency.

“Our solutions help businesses optimise their operations while minimising their environmental impact.

“It’s not just about compliance; it’s about making a real difference for our planet and future generations.”

The addition of Cathay Cargo Terminal and Hactl to the list of IEnvA-certified operators was alluded to by IATA’s global head of air cargo in his speech at the opening of the WCS in Hong Kong, as part of the strides that IATA is helping the airfreight industry to make on sustainability.

Handling cargo sustainably

Cathay Cargo Terminal’s chief operating officer, Mark Watts, commented: “This significant milestone demonstrates our commitment to environmental sustainability.

“Having IEnvA certified facilities at Hong Kong International Airport further strengthens Hong Kong’s position as the world’s leading air cargo hub and is reflective of the strong sustainability culture and vision of Cathay, AAHK [airport operator Airport Authority Hong Kong] and Hong Kong.”

And Hactl chief executive Wilson Kwong added: “Hactl has been on its sustainability journey for some years, achieving major successes. It’s our policy to gain accreditation under every relevant standard, hence our decision to add IATA IEnvA to our portfolio.

“It increases the appeal of Hactl’s offering, and further enhances Hong Kong’s status as the world’s leading hub.

“We also support IATA’s initiative because we believe it will help the vital sustainability message to gain traction across our industry.”