Changi Airport cargo community to pursue CEIV Fresh certification

Singapore’s Changi Airport (SIN) today announced that a working group had been formed among the airport’s cargo community to pursue the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) Center of Excellence for Independent Validators for Perishable Logistics (CEIV Fresh) certification.  

The airport, together with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, dnata Singapore and Singapore Airlines will shoulder certification-related costs with the aim to improve handling capabilities for perishable products at the airport. SATS, the largest handler at SIN, is pursuing CEIV Fresh certification independently of the group and expects to finish the process by April 2020.   

At present, perishable cargo comprises about 13% of the airport’s cargo throughput, and is a segment that continues to grow, even as other segments are down. “Although the air cargo industry has slowed down globally, it is now even more important for the Changi air cargo community to be connected and build a stronger partnership through collaboration,” said Lim Ching Kiat, managing director of air hub development at Changi Airport Group. “As a community, we can leverage on synergies and co-create new solutions. This will enable the Singapore air cargo hub to strengthen our competitive edge and better serve our customers globally.” 

Standards for the IATA CEIV Fresh program are based on IATA’s Perishable Cargo Regulations (PCR), and are designed to ensure the safety of perishable food products through standardization of handling and transport operations. The new certification was launched earlier this year at the World Cargo Symposium in Singapore. 

Although SIN was the first airport in Asia to obtain IATA’s CEIV Pharma certification, Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) was the first airport in Asia (and the world) to be CEIV Fresh-certified, as IATA’s launch partner of the program.