Standard Operating Procedure for HUM in TAA flight

 General

Human Remains (which are not cremated) may be accepted for carriage on all TAA flights as cargo, providing that all packaging and documentation requirements are met. Human Remains must not be accepted as part of a consolidated shipment or mixed consignment or in a Unit Load Device (ULD). Only One HUM may be carried at a time on a given aircraft. The deceased body must be devoid of any infectious diseases. Human Remains shall only be managed and handled by a known consignor or regulated agent."

Booking Arrangements

To reduce the risk of offloading, customers and shippers are to contact Teleport Planners and Teleport Helpdesk on the HUM movements in advance, to confirm the total weight and dimensions of the casket or coffin planned for carriage. The Teleport Planners and Helpdesk will cross-check dimensions with the aircraft requirements.

Note for agents:  Please send a pre-alert to help.th@teleport.asia and thcargosales@airasia.com before submitting HUM cargo (or after creating a booking in SmartKargo)."

Acceptance

1. A confirmation must be obtained from the airport of destination and standards and compliance of TAA for confirming that the shipment is accepted for carriage and permission for importation has been granted by authorities.

2. Human remains will not be accepted as part of a consolidated shipment or mixed consignment, unless the entire shipment consists of human remains.

3. Human remains may only be accepted if all documentation is lawful and packaging requirements are fully complied with.

4. When shipping as interline cargo the cargo agent or reservation agent must verify that all carriers are notified and approve the acceptance of the shipment prior to accepting the shipment."

Packaging

1. Cremated remains (ashes) must be shipped in funeral urns effectively cushioned against breakage and enclosed in a strong outer container. Ashes shall be packed in a neutral packing.

2. Human remains MUST be packed in a coffin, Embalmed Human Remains destined to all countries must be shipped in a hermetically sealed inner container of lead, bronze, zinc or steel (i.e. completed air-tight). This inner container must be enclosed in an outer wooden coffin or crate suitable for cargo compartment of particular aircraft type and for safe transportation.

3. This coffin must be suitably protected from damage during transportation by enclosure in an outer wrapping of canvas/oil cloth so that the nature of the contents is not apparent. The outer packaging should include lifting handles or fittings to facilitate handling.

4. The outer packaging of all shipments of human remains should bear full identification details, name of deceased as well as consignee's name and address. 

5. When accepting human remains you should ascertain that no offensive scent is radiating from the coffin.

Documentation

1. Human remains must be accompanied by an official certificate of death and, for cremated remains, a certificate of cremation. The document must be attached to the Airway bill / SMU, not the coffin or container.

2. Embalming certificate.

3. Other documents which may be required by the authorities at stations of transit, transfer and destination must accompany the shipment (refer the section 7.3 IATA TACT Rules).

4. When above documents need to be translated to other languages, they shall be legalized by the competent authorities at origin.

5. For Thai AirAsia Staff, Copy of Employee ID card of Thai AirAsia and KK (family certificate must be attached with above document.

6. The AWB and cargo manifest should show the special handling code "HUM".

7. In the case of human remains packed in inner polythene containers, the mortician must provide an officially certified written declaration to the effect that the casket containing the remains of the late (name of deceased) which is offered for air carriage by Thai AirAsia from (origin) to (destination) is metal lined and hermetically sealed or contains the remains in a polythene or plastic container of no lesser thickness than 0.10in/0.25mm and which is hermetically sealed. For human remains packed in coffin, the Certificate for packing of coffin (the body must be wrapped into two bags of thick and transparent polythene, one from head end and other from foot side before packing into the coffin).

Dimension for HUM

The dimension and weight of the coffin for A320 CEO/NEO and A321 NEO can be summarized as follows:"