Animal transportation by air remains a crucial yet complex sector within the air cargo industry. During the recent Animal Transportation Association (ATA) Conference, industry experts from leading ground handling companies and airlines convened to discuss best practices, evolving regulations, and the future of animal handling. The panel, which featured representatives from Fraport, WFS, Menzies, Qatar Aviation Services, and other key players, provided critical insights into the challenges and advancements in ensuring safe and humane transport for live animals.

One of the primary concerns in animal handling is ensuring that ground personnel are adequately trained to manage live animal shipments. The panellists emphasised that staff must undergo rigorous training, aligning with IATA’s Live Animals Regulations (LAR). 

Noel Pereira, Customer Service Delivery Manager at Menzies Aviation, noted that training consistency across global operations is vital: “We ensure that all our staff receive training under the latest IATA regulations. However, our priority this year is standardising our approach by performing a gap analysis between our training and airline-specific requirements.”

Similarly, Qatar Aviation Services’ Head of Cargo Terminal Services, Michael Wambold, highlighted the extensive measures taken at the airline’s new state-of-the-art Animal Centre in Doha:

“We have recurrent IATA LAR training for all our personnel, complemented by additional animal welfare training. This extends down to the staff handling the loading at aircraft level, ensuring that every touchpoint is managed with care.”

Despite these efforts, standardisation remains an ongoing challenge. Different countries and airlines have varying regulations, leading to inconsistencies in training and compliance.

A key operational challenge in animal shipments is minimising delays during check-in and pre-departure processes. Ground handlers often require long lead times to ensure documentation, security screening, and loading protocols meet stringent safety and welfare standards.

Wambold explained how Qatar Airways Cargo has streamlined the process:

“When designing our new facility, we focused on reducing reporting times. Through digital pre-clearance checks via our SHANAV portal, we can now complete documentation before the animals even arrive. This has reduced acceptance times from six hours to as little as two for standard shipments.”

However, the challenge remains for airports without dedicated animal handling facilities. As one panellist pointed out, in locations lacking temperature-controlled holding areas, efforts must be made to deliver animals as close to departure as possible to avoid unnecessary stress.

The presence of dedicated animal facilities varies significantly across global airports, impacting the consistency of care. While leading hubs such as Frankfurt, Doha, and JFK have animal reception centres, many smaller stations lack such infrastructure.

“In Brussels, we had a shipment of 11 horses last night,” said one panellist. “I can only imagine what would have happened if we didn’t have an Animal Centre. In locations without these facilities, the welfare of the animals is always a concern.”

The absence of dedicated infrastructure can lead to increased transit stress, particularly when animals need to be held for long periods due to flight delays. Qatar Aviation Services highlighted that when expanding their operations globally, establishing dedicated animal handling centres is a fundamental requirement to ensure the best possible conditions for animal shipments.

The panel also explored the evolving regulatory landscape, particularly the impact of the European Commission’s latest proposals on animal transport. The new regulations could significantly alter industry practices, making compliance more complex.

A European Commission representative in attendance raised the question of whether ground handlers working in non-specialised areas—such as baggage handling—should be required to undergo animal-specific training. The consensus was that increased regulation in this area would be beneficial, but implementation would be challenging due to varying airport policies worldwide.