ISAGO AUDIT PREPARATION · Aero Support Group FZCO · Updated 10 November 2026
What is ISAGO?
ISAGO stands for IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations. It is IATA’s audit programme for ground service providers, run under the ISAGO Standards Manual (GOSM). More than 230 ground handling providers are ISAGO-registered, with over 430 accredited stations at more than 235 airports (IATA, 2026).
ISAGO is run by IATA under the ISAGO Program Manual (GOPM, Edition 4, effective March 2024). The audit standards are the GOSARPs in the ISAGO Standards Manual, currently Edition 10 Revision 1. The programme has two layers:
- Headquarters (HQ) Registration covers the corporate management system: accountability and post-holders, safety management, compliance monitoring, document control, training management and oversight of subcontractors and suppliers.
- Station Accreditation verifies that the operational disciplines performed at a station conform to the applicable GOSARPs.
Both remain valid for 24 calendar months from the date of the on-site closing meeting. The audits are performed by IATA-accredited ISAGO auditors allocated by IATA. Airlines can then rely on the registry when selecting and overseeing their ground handlers.
The seven ISAGO disciplines
The GOSM is organised into seven disciplines. ORM and TRN are audited at headquarters and at every station. The operational disciplines are audited at each station where the service is provided, against the IATA manual each one refers to.
- ORM, Organisation and Management: management system, safety management, quality assurance, emergency response and oversight of external service providers, based on AHM Chapter 6.
- TRN, Training: training programmes, instructor and staff qualification and competency records, based on AHM 1110.
- PAX, Passenger Handling: departure, arrival, transfer and transit processes, based on IGOM Chapter 1.
- BAG, Baggage Handling: cabin and checked baggage, offloading and mishandled baggage, based on IGOM Chapter 2.
- RMP, Ramp Handling: ramp safety, aircraft servicing and the turnaround, including towing, based on IGOM Chapters 3 and 4.
- LOD, Load Control: mass and balance, load planning and load sheets, based on IGOM Chapter 5. Whether LOD applies depends on whether the handler produces the load sheet or only provides load information.
- CGM, Cargo and Mail Handling: cargo and mail acceptance, handling, storage, dangerous goods and special cargo, based on the IATA Cargo Handling Manual (ICHM) Chapters 7 to 13.
The IATA Operational Portal gap analysis
Before the audit, the provider must complete the Industry Standards Gap Analysis on the IATA Operational Portal (formerly the IGOM Portal). It is free to access and mandatory for ISAGO registration. Provision by provision, across the IATA Ground Operations Manual (IGOM), AHM Chapter 6, AHM 1110 and the IATA Cargo Handling Manual (ICHM), the provider records:
- a status of Conformity, Variation or Out of Scope;
- a document reference specific enough to identify the actual procedure, since IATA treats a reference to a whole chapter as insufficient;
- the varying text wherever its procedure differs from the standard;
- a risk assessment where a variation is safety-critical, showing an equivalent level of safety.
The completed analysis is published and refreshed at least annually and whenever procedures or standards change. ISAGO auditors use the Portal’s audit module to verify the documentation, so the published analysis is where the audit begins.
Where ground handlers lose findings
In our work as auditors and consultants, findings cluster in the same places:
- Corporate compliance monitoring that states it oversees stations without records showing it does.
- Oversight of subcontractors and suppliers across a station network, especially where services are subcontracted locally.
- Training and competency records that do not reconcile to AHM 1110 and to the functions staff actually perform.
- Operational Portal references that point to whole manuals rather than to the specific procedure.
- Variations from IGOM recorded without the risk assessment that justifies them.
- Local procedures at stations that have drifted from the headquarters manual.
These are system problems rather than station problems, which is why we start with the headquarters layer.
How ASG prepares ground handlers for ISAGO
ASG works in five phases, adapted to the provider’s size and station network:
- Initial assessment and gap analysis of the HQ management system and a baseline station against the applicable GOSARPs, with the systemic root cause of each gap.
- Corrective action plan with practical, measurable actions, owners, target dates and the evidence each action must produce.
- Implementation and evidence: documentation, processes embedded in daily operation, and traceable records such as the hazard log, risk register, SPIs and training records.
- Internal verification and mock audit at headquarters and the station, so residual findings surface before the official audit.
- Registration and audit support: IATA portal and station account set-up, audit scheduling, support while the auditors are on site, and closure of findings afterwards.
For multi-station providers we recommend headquarters plus one station first. The corporate oversight framework built at headquarters then applies to every station added later.
Why ASG for ISAGO
- 15 years of ISAGO experience across six continents and more than 100 ISAGO-related projects, audits and preparation activities.
- Three consultants who are currently active IATA ISAGO auditors, so readiness is assessed against the evidence an auditor will ask for.
- Consultants who have run ramp, cargo and load control operations, not only audited them.
- Preparation of the Operational Portal gap analysis as part of the gap assessment. ASG prepares it; the provider reviews, approves and publishes it as its own declaration to IATA.
ASG is not an IATA ISAGO audit organisation and does not conduct the official HQ Registration or Station Accreditation audits. That independence means there is no conflict between the party preparing the provider and the party auditing it. The aim is that the provider goes into its official audit already knowing its real conformity status and its corrective action priorities.
For continuous compliance between audits, ISAGO RADAR provides periodic reviews of the management system and stations, Portal updates, and readiness checks before renewal.
Conclusion
ISAGO now tests a ground handler’s management system as much as its ramp. The Operational Portal gap analysis, the HQ Registration and the Station Accreditation all depend on documentation that matches practice and on corporate oversight that can be shown with records. ASG helps providers build that before the auditors arrive.
Frequently asked questions
ASG is not an IATA ISAGO audit organisation and does not conduct official ISAGO audits. It is an independent consultancy that prepares ground handlers for ISAGO, and its team includes three consultants who are active IATA ISAGO auditors.
ISAGO means IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations. It assesses ground handling providers at headquarters and at stations against the ISAGO Standards and Recommended Practices (GOSARPs).
ISAGO is not a regulatory requirement. Many airlines use the ISAGO registry to select and oversee ground service providers, so registration and accreditation are often a commercial requirement. ISAGO results in registration and accreditation on the IATA registry rather than a certificate with a pass or fail grade.
HQ Registration assesses the corporate management system. Station Accreditation assesses the operational disciplines performed at a specific station. Both are valid for 24 months from the on-site closing meeting.
ORM and TRN are audited at headquarters and at every station. PAX, BAG, RMP, LOD and CGM are audited at each station where the provider performs those services.
A provision-by-provision analysis of the provider’s procedures against IGOM, AHM Chapter 6, AHM 1110 and the ICHM, completed on the IATA Operational Portal. It is a prerequisite for the ISAGO audit and must be refreshed at least annually.
No. Official ISAGO audits are performed by IATA-accredited auditors allocated by IATA. ASG prepares providers for the audit, runs mock audits and supports corrective actions.
It depends on the maturity of the management system, the number of disciplines and the number of stations. Audit scheduling is managed by IATA and has its own lead time, which we build into the plan.
Key takeaways
- ISAGO has two layers: HQ Registration and Station Accreditation, each valid for 24 months
- ORM and TRN apply everywhere; PAX, BAG, RMP, LOD and CGM where performed
- The Operational Portal gap analysis is a prerequisite and must be specific to each procedure
- Current standards: GOSM Ed. 10 Rev. 1, GOPM Ed. 4, IGOM 14, AHM 46
- ASG prepares providers for the audit; IATA-accredited auditors conduct it
Preparing for ISAGO?
Tell us your stations and the services you provide. ASG will scope the HQ and station work and set out what the auditors will expect.