Etihad Cargo has been awarded IATA’s Centre of Excellence of Independent Validators (CEIV) certification for Live Animals.

The UAE national carrier said the benefits of the certification include improving animal welfare and safety through quality and risk management, and enhancing standardisation and professionalism in the handling and transportation of live animals in a multimodal environment.

Etihad Cargo is the first airline in the Middle East and third globally to hold IATA’s trilogy of CEIV Live Animals, Fresh, and Pharma certifications.

IATA’s global head of cargo Brendan Sullivan said: “Handling and transporting live animals is challenging. Each type of animal has its own specific requirements. Achieving CEIV Live Animals certification means Eithad Cargo’s customers can benefit from extra assurance that their precious cargo is in safe hands. We congratulate the airline on becoming the first in the Middle East to complete the suite of CEIV certifications – Pharma, Fresh and Live Animals.”

Etihad Aviation Group’s senior vice president sales and cargo Martin Drew added: “The transportation of live animals requires specific conditions and the CEIV certification further underlines Etihad Cargo’s experience and commitment to animal welfare and safe transportation. Etihad Cargo is proud to have secured certification for its LiveAnimals and SkyStables products. This recognition further endorses the industry-leading service we provide global customers.”