Pika Aero and DGM France have been recognised as winners of this year’s IATA Competency-Based Training and Assessment Center (CBTA Center) Best Innovation Award.

Presented during the 4th IATA CBTA Center Conference held alongside the 2026 IATA World Cargo Symposium (WCS), the award recognised both companies’ advances in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to provide real-world training solutions.

Pika Aero, which provides certified e-learning training solutions for air transport professionals, was recognised for its immersive CBTA-based dangerous goods training technology. Using AI, learners progress through short, focused lessons combined with realistic operational scenarios that evolve in real time, based on each individual’s performance.

DGM France, which provides solutions and advices for the transportation of dangerous good, was recognised for its AI-powered solution which offers tailored training based on each learner’s existing knowledge and experience. Post-training validation highlights an individual’s progression through the training and provides structured feedback to identify any remaining training gaps.

Frederic Leger, IATA’s senior vice president products and services, said: “As Pika Aero and DGM France have demonstrated, AI has become a vital enabler in providing realistic training environments that strengthen safety and enhance compliance.

“We are proud to count both companies among IATA’s network of CBTA Centers and encourage others to follow their example in raising training standards across the industry.”

Baptiste Sesmat, director general of Pika Aero, said: “Even as a newly accredited CBTA Center, we are truly honoured to receive the IATA CBTA Center Best Innovation Award. We owe it to our customers, who place their trust in us not only to provide the highest standards of training but also to push us to raise the bar in building a truly immersive training experience.”

Vytautas Volskis, president of DGM France, said: “We approached Dangerous Goods training as a system-engineering challenge. When CBTA requirements were introduced, we did not adopt a traditional course model but built a new approach.

“Competence must be designed, measured, and continuously refined. Our AI-supported CBTA model introduces structured personalisation within a regulated governance framework, ensuring that safety performance is not assumed but demonstrated.”

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