Air India SATS’ Air Freight Terminal at Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru has been certified with TAPA FSR 2014 Class A Certification
TÜV Rheinland India, a subsidiary of TÜV Rheinland Group, Germany, announced that Air India SATS’ Air Freight Terminal at 
Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru has been certified with TAPA FSR 2014 Class A certification for warehouse security, replacing the earlier FSR 2011 Class A certification. TUV Rheinland is a leader in testing, inspection, certification and training, providing technical services worldwide.
Air India SATS (Air India SATS Airport Services Pvt. Ltd.) is a premier airport services company. With this new certification by TUV Rheinland India, Air India SATS, Bengaluru has become the first Air Cargo Terminal Operator in India to have a warehouse facility certified for “TAPA FSR 2014 Class A”.
TAPA -Transported Asset Protection Association, is a unique forum that unites global manufacturers, logistics providers, freight carriers, law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders with the common aim of reducing losses from national and international supply chains. FSR (Facility Security Requirements) is established to ensure the safe and secure in-transit storage and warehousing of any TAPA members’ assets throughout the world. Being a scalable standard, the Classification A warehouse is considered to be the highest degree of warehouse security in comparison with the other Class B or Class C facility.
The certification not only portrays Air India SATS’ confidence ensuring increased security of warehousing and handling but also provides a high level of assurance to their customers with a policy of increased customer satisfaction by meeting customer’s security expectations for their goods and products.
The certification will also help Air India SATS to maintain a competitive edge and reduced insurance liability exposure to the company. TAPA FSR 2014 Class A Certification is in sync with other Security Management Systems and is relatively more difficult and practical. In comparison with the earlier FSR 2011 Class A standard where the passing criteria is based on scoring and averaging, the new standard focuses on absolute conformance and compliance with each and every clause thus making it more stringent, accurate and diminishing the potential risk and threat to the maximum.
Mr. Chitradeep Banerjee, the Auditor for this certification, who also happens to be the all India Product Head of TAPA and the AGM-System & Industry for TUV Rheinland India said, “After the first Gap Analysis Audit, challenges were evidenced with certain areas requiring special attention. Remarkably, before the final certification audit, the competent team took lot of efforts in bridging the gaps, giving a very positive message that nothing is impossible if you have the right attitude. The tenacity and the commitment of the top management was highly appreciable and it was a very well deserved certification for Air India SATS. I believe that they will surely sustain & maintain this high security standard at all levels in the days to come.”
Mr. M. Bhaskar, Director, TUV Rheinland India said, “These days supply chain and the logistics service providers face a major challenge in ensuring safety for cargo movement in warehouses. These companies also incur a huge cost, liability and are prone to legal risk in case of any theft or losses. Our TAPA certification ensures the minimization of cargo losses from the supply chain through the development and application of global security standards. We are confident that, as a TAPA certified company, Air India SATS will be able to demonstrate to its customers and investors that it uses industry-respected best practices, having an edge over competition.”
