Virgin Atlantic Cargo’s commitment to ‘best-in-class’ customer service and operational resilience has been recognised by the awarding of its first Cargo iQ certification following an independent audit by SGS Société Générale de Surveillance SA on behalf of Cargo iQ, the IATA interest group creating and implementing quality standards for the worldwide air cargo industry.
The audit of the airline’s Quality Management System measured Virgin Atlantic’s performance using the Cargo iQ metrics to track the achievement of shipment milestones and deliveries in accordance with the commitment created at the time of each customers’ booking.
Dominic Kennedy, Managing Director, Cargo at Virgin Atlantic, said: “We are passionate about great customer service and consistently meeting our customers’ expectations and we need the tools to meet this promise. Cargo iQ is important to us because it is an independent measurement of our performance against quality standards which have been created by the industry, including many of our biggest customers.”
Ariaen Zimmerman, Executive Director, Cargo iQ, commented: “Every time another Cargo iQ member becomes accredited, we are one step closer to ensuring the air cargo supply chain is transparent and efficient for all stakeholders involved. Virgin has been involved and contributing to the community in know-how and expertise for a long time. We are excited to see them now obtaining their certification. Virgin is a good example of a member that puts into practice the Cargo iQ values of Quality, Collaboration, Reliability, Trust and Innovation, and this certification is a true reflection of that.”
Cargo iQ – which has more than 80 airline, freight forwarder, ground handling, road feeder service and IT provider members – is a system of shipment planning and performance monitoring for air cargo based on common business processes and milestones. Its Master Operating Plan (MOP) describes the standard end-to-end process of transporting air cargo and gives users a path to enhanced process control, quality monitoring and service improvement.
Virgin Atlantic’s certification follows a two-day on-site visit by SGS auditors, who looked at internal processes, including measures taken to minimise or eliminate shipment errors and provide customers with more visibility of shipment status. The airline successfully demonstrated that its processes and services are compliant with Cargo iQ’s quality standards.
“We are very proud to reach this important milestone. Our quality management system has undergone a vigorous audit and our subsequent certification reflects our commitment to putting our customers at the heart of everything we do. Cargo iQ provides us with a wealth of data to help analyse and streamline our operations, which will be key as we enter the next exciting phase of Virgin Atlantic’s growth strategy,” said Alex Papworth, Manager, Business Assurance, Virgin Atlantic Cargo.
