Animal transport by air remains an important yet complicated sector within the air freight industry. During the recent animal transport transport conference (ATA), experts in the operation of leading land handling companies and airlines convened to discuss best practices, developing regulations and the future of animal handling. The panel, with representatives of Fraport, WFS, Menzies, Qatar Aviation Services and other key players, provided critical insights into the challenges and progress to ensure safe and human transport for live animals.
One of the most important problems in dealing with animals is to ensure that ground staff are sufficiently trained to manage live animal shipping. The panelists emphasized that staff should undergo strict training, and are in line with Iata’s live animals (LAR) regulations.
Noel Pereira, customer service manager at Menzies Aviation, noted that training consistency over global operations is essential: “We ensure that all our staff receive training under the latest Iata regulations. However, our priority this year is to standardize our approach by performing a gap analysis between our training and airline -specific requirements. “
Similarly, the head of Cargo Terminal Services, Qatar Aviation Services, Michael Wambold, highlighted the extensive measures taken at the new modern animal center in Doha:
“We have had recurrent Iata training for all our staff, supplemented by additional training for animal welfare. It extends to the staff who handle the airplane level, ensuring that every touch point is managed with care. “
Despite these efforts, standardization remains a constant challenge. Different countries and airlines have different regulations, leading to contradictions in training and compliance.
An important operational challenge in animal collaborations is to reduce delays during check and pre-room processes. Land handlers often need long left times to ensure that documentation, security examinations and loading protocols meet strict safety and welfare standards.
Wambold explained how the cargo of Qatar Airways streamlined the process:
‘When we designed our new facility, we focused on reducing elimination times. Through digital checks before the clearance via our Shanav portal, we can now complete documentation before the animals even arrive. This has reduced the acceptance times of six hours to as little as two for standard shatters. “
However, the challenge remains for airports without dedicated animal handling facilities. As one panel member pointed out, in places with temperature -controlled holding areas, efforts should be made to deliver animals as close as possible to avoiding unnecessary stress.
The presence of dedicated animal facilities vary considerably across global airports, which affects the consistency of care. While leading hubs such as Frankfurt, Doha and JFK have animals, many smaller stations do not have such infrastructure.
“In Brussels we had a consignment of 11 horses last night,” one panelist said. “I can only imagine what would have happened if we didn’t have an animal center. In places without these facilities, the well -being of the animals is always a concern. “
The absence of dedicated infrastructure can lead to increased transit tension, especially if animals need to be kept for long periods due to delays in the flight. Qatar Aviation Services has emphasized that the erection of dedicated animal handling centers is a fundamental requirement to ensure the best possible conditions for animal transport.
The panel also investigated the developing regulatory landscape, especially the impact of the latest proposals from the European Commission on Animal Transport. The new regulations can significantly change the operating practices, making the compliance more complicated.
A representative of the European Commission who attended raised the question of whether land handlers who worked in non-specialized areas to deal with luggage-should to undergo animal-specific training. The consensus was that increased regulation in this area would be beneficial, but implementation would be challenging due to different airport policies worldwide.
