What is IATA and What Does It Do? All the Details of IATA

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) ensures the regulation of certain standards in air transport, both for passengers and cargo. At this point, working with institutions that are IATA members or agents is a symbol of international trust. Now, keep reading to find answers to all your questions!

What is IATA?

IATA, which stands for International Air Transport Association, is an international trade organization that supervises tariffs and authorizations for both passenger and cargo air transport.

What is the IATA Code?

The IATA code is the code assigned to airports in air transport for cargo and passenger transport supervisions. The acronym IATA stands for International Air Transport Association. In order for the codes to be assigned, the relevant airport must meet the ICAO requirements. In addition, the IATA code is assigned not only to airports but also to airline companies. 

What is the IATA Certificate?

The IATA certification document is a document that certifies that airline enterprises comply with safety and security standards internationally. The price of the IATA certificate, which is obtained as a result of fulfilling approximately 900 criteria, varies from year to year.

What Does IATA Do?

IATA ensures that airline companies and individuals traveling by air receive safe and efficient service. Supervising the fulfillment of standards in air transport, IATA controls the tariffs and authorizations carried out for cargo and passenger transport within this scope.

Establishment and History of IATA

Although IATA was established in 1919, it took its current shape after the Second World War. In 1945, it began operating in the capital of Cuba with 57 members from 31 countries. Although only airline companies in Europe were members at the time it was first established, it became active across continents when Pan American became a member in 1939.

With an increase in the number of members over time, IATA began to gain an important place in international aviation activities. The legal system maintained by IATA is indexed to protect consumers. Topics such as the pricing policies determined for flights and how airline companies will share their revenues in connecting flights are within the scope of the organization's duties.

Today, the organization, which has clarified many issues with international regulations, measures compliance with standards through its audits. In addition to all this, it is accepted as the continuation of the International Air Traffic Association founded in The Hague in 1919, continue its services at this point with over 270 members from 140 countries.

Where is IATA Headquartered?

IATA is headquartered in Montreal, Canada. It also has executive offices in Geneva, Switzerland. It has regional offices in various cities around the world, such as Amman, Buenos Aires, Dakar, London, Bangkok, Singapore, Nairobi, Washington D.C., and Rio de Janeiro.

What Are the Requirements for IATA Membership?

The most basic rule among the IATA membership requirements is to be an airline company. To apply for membership, the airline firm must have been operating for at least two years. In addition, it is mandatory for the firm to be registered in the IATA operational safety systems and to pass the audits.

A non-refundable fee of 15 thousand dollars is requested from airline companies that want to be among the members of the organization. Once the application phase is completed and the firm is accepted for membership, it must also pay 15 thousand dollars. Afterwards, firms continuing their membership pay nearly 13 thousand dollars in total as an annual membership fee. Additionally, each company is expected to pay 500 dollars as a contribution share.

What is IATA's Environmental Policy?

The International Air Transport Association, which has members from almost all over the world, has commitments regarding aviation fuels and as a solution to global warming. There are three points on which all members agree regarding this matter. These three points, grouped annually, are as follows:

• Increasing the fuel efficiency rate by 1.5% annually between 2009-2020,

• Setting a cap on carbon emissions resulting from aviation activities starting from 2020,

• Reducing the net carbon emissions rate by 50% by 2050 compared to 2005 levels

What Are the Benefits of Being an IATA Member?

The biggest benefit of being an IATA member is expanding networks internationally. Additionally, IATA membership, which helps increase popularity and reliability, ensures a reduction in costs. Member firms can benefit from many communication campaigns through the organization, as well as participate in various seminars and training programs.

Which Airline Companies in Turkey Are IATA Members?

IATA member companies in Turkey can be listed as follows:

• Turkish Airlines

• Pegasus Airlines

• AtlasGlobal

• Onur Air

• FreeBird Airlines

• Sun Express

• Corendon

• MNG Airlines

What is an IATA Agent?

Travel and cargo agents can obtain IATA accreditation by meeting the necessary requirements. Thus, the process between agents and airline companies becomes easier. Agents with IATA accreditation can sell domestic or international flight tickets of member airline firms. This accreditation also makes billing and payments between transportation suppliers and the airline company more orderly through the Billing and Settlement Plan (BSP) program. 

The accreditation certificate received as an IATA agent provides recognition for institutions in international agreements. This is because it allows agents to use the organization's logo in their correspondence. Additionally, through this accreditation, institutions can participate in various trainings by taking advantage of special airline discounts. 

How to Become an IATA Agent?

The first condition to become an IATA agent, which has many advantages, is to have a travel agency license in the country of affiliation. This is because details of this license are requested on the application form.

After filling out the application form and preparing the requested documents, an application can be made by paying a certain fee. The application fee varies among countries. Agents that receive a positive response as a result of the application evaluation can become an IATA agent by paying the registration fee and the annual membership fee.

What Are the Duties of IATA?

The general duties of IATA, which features audits on ticket prices, efficiency applications, etc., can be listed as follows:

• Ensuring that equipment used at airports complies with standards,

• Determining standards related to terminal design as well as operations,

• Supervising agent commission and service fees,

• Supervising ticket prices,

• Determining procedures for cargo transport,

• Providing expertise in terms of efficiency, security, and compliance,

• Preparing an environment where member countries can discuss their issues,

• Maintaining competition among airline companies,

• Determining standards related to ground handling services,

How Are IATA Codes Determined?

The 3-digit codes given by the organization to IATA member airports are determined according to the name of the city and airport. Although the code system consisted of 2 letters in the 1930s, a three-digit code system is used today due to the increased number of airports. The fact that the last digit of the IATA codes of some airports is the letter X is due to this situation.

In addition to airports and airline firms, special tag codes are also created for passengers' baggage. The purpose of creating such a coding is to prevent situations such as lost luggage.

IATA codes are like the language of communication in aviation activities. Much information, from the departure and arrival points of flights to which company they will take place through, is identified thanks to these codes. Thus, transportation becomes easier internationally.

What Are the IATA Codes of Airports in Turkey?

You can learn the IATA codes of airports in Turkey by examining the table below.

IATA codes, which facilitate communication in air transport, ensure that you are sure of your destination no matter where you are in the world. You can identify airports using these codes and verify the safety of your preferred airline company travel through these codes.

How to Become an IATA Cargo Agent?

To apply to become an IATA cargo agent, it is necessary to have maintained commercial activity for a minimum of 6 months. Apart from this, there are documents that must be submitted with the application. These documents can be listed as follows:

• Application form (with a wet signature and stamp on the document being mandatory)

• Operating license

• Certificate showing registration in the chamber of commerce

• Trade Registry Gazette

• Up-to-date account balance sheet (must have the stamp of the relevant tax office)

• Dangerous goods transport certificate

• Air cargo introductory course certificate

• Letter of guarantee received from the bank

In addition to submitting the documents, the membership application fee must be paid. The IATA cargo agent application fee is 1550 Swiss francs. This fee, deposited during the application, is not refunded if the application is not approved. Following the approval of the application, a registration fee of 385 Swiss francs is paid. The annual fee for IATA cargo agents is 465 Swiss francs, and the Ombudsman commission fee is 95 Swiss francs.

What Should Be Considered in an IATA Cargo Agent Application?

It is highly important that the documents to be submitted in the application to become an IATA cargo agent are signed and stamped in a uniquely personal manner. Additionally, approval must be obtained before sending the application documents to the IATA headquarters. Since the documents are sent physically, necessary checks should be made to confirm all information is complete.

In our country, many titles related to the business can be included in a company's title. At this point, it is very important for IATA that the title code in the official document at the chamber of commerce matches the business descriptions. Therefore, the title of the cargo company that will apply must be air cargo transport. Otherwise, you will only lose time with the application process.

What is the Process After the IATA Cargo Agent Application is Approved?

After your application forms are approved by IATA for official document compliance, a request is made to the relevant units affiliated with THY (Turkish Airlines) to inspect your company. After the inspection request reaches THY, you will be subject to inspection within 20-30 days. No prior notification is given for these inspection activities.

If there are no deficiencies in your documents, there will be no problems. In case of missing documents, additional time is given for you to complete the required files. After all criteria regarding the documents are suitable, a number and authorization are sent to your company in writing by IATA. Since the arrival of the written document may take some time, you can use the e-mail sent by IATA in your Civil Aviation procedures.

Can One Become an IATA Cargo Agent Right After Getting the Authorization Certificate?

The authorization certificate sent to the cargo agent by IATA is valid for 5 years. During this validity period, the agent is required to employ expert, experienced staff at all airports for which they have received authorization. In addition, to fully hold the authorization certificate, various information and documents must also be submitted to the Ministry of Transport.

After holding the authorization certificate, companies must also assign at least one staff member related to security at their headquarters. For branch staff, expert personnel must have completed cargo safety and civil aviation training. If the employee specified as an expert is one of the company partners, various notary-certified information and documents must be submitted.