Qatar Airways’ ground handling subsidiary has joined the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) Ground Handling Council.

Qatar Aviation Services’ (QAS) membership aims to build on its IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO) accreditation, which it achieved in November 2014.

Commenting on the news, QAS senior vice president Clive Sauvé-Hopkins said: “This is a proud moment for QAS. Becoming a member of the IATA Ground Handling Council is a significant milestone for our business and demonstrates how QAS has become an industry leader that is globally recognised for its capability and professionalism in the field of aviation services.”

QAS will be participating in the IATA Ground Support Equipment & Environment conference, and will share its experience as the first ground handler world-wide to introduce the Colibri battery technology to its new fleet of electric baggage tractors.

QAS will also contribute to the Load Control and Movement Messaging standards in support of its global Centralised Load Control business producing over 10,000 load sheets per month supporting the safety and performance of the Qatar Airways network.