‘IATA rejects Indian dangerous goods certificates, trade suffer’

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has been rejecting the DG certificate issued by DGCA approved Indian DG Training schools that are presented by Indian cargo agents for their IATA accreditation. It appears that along with the certificate, they also want a certificate from the training school.  It is affecting the trade notably.

Addressing the concern, Radharaman Panicker, MD, Dangerous Goods Management India in an exclusive chat says, “The training school offering DG course for air transport needs to be approved by Director General of Civil Aviation, Government of India according to the civil aviation requirement (CAR) on training issued by the competent authority. Further it is mandatory for every one involved in the transportation of air cargo to be trained in accordance with the said CAR, which also includes the freight forwarder. This is as per Rule 12 of the Aircraft (Carriage of Dangerous Goods) Rules 2003. The certificate issued by the approved training schools are required to affix the words “DGCA approved” on the certificate. Certificate issued by us also contains such a requirement. This is being followed in India for last 12-13 years now. Most of the institutes in India were first required to be approved by DGCA, then only the IATA accreditation if any would come into play.

So it is ridiculous for IATA to ask for additional certificate from the training school. Otherwise what is the meaning of certificate being issued by approved training school. If IATA indeed has doubt about the authenticity of the school, they should address the matter to the DGCA and asked to be submitted a list of approved training school for their record or they could simply go and check the website of DGCA.
It appears to me that they are questioning the authority of the Government of India to approve training institutions in India or even the programme itself.”
This high handed approach of IATA whereby they are asking airlines in India to reject shipment offered by agents who are having unauthorised certificates, is creating unwarranted and bad precedent. India is world’s third largest aviation market- something that IATA must remember. Indian airlines which have also been issued similar direction, must well remember that they are also governed by the same law that governs the DG training school.
I hope the Competent authority in India will address this issue quickly.”