Dubai National Air Travel Agency (or dnata) is founded to provide ground handling at the newly opened Dubai International Airport. The team is made up of just five employees.

In 1973, we complete the first of our many expansions, forming a specialist cargo division. Our expansion produces a 50% increase in cargo volumes through Dubai International Airport over a two-year period.

Leisure dnata joins our growing portfolio, acting as a precursor to dnata’s thriving travel division.

marhaba, dnata’s meet and greet service, begins its passenger assistance services at Dubai International Airport. The 19-strong team supports the journeys of 20,000 passengers in its first year.

Gerry’s dnata joins the group as our first joint venture overseas into Pakistan. Today, we are the country’s preferred ground service provider.

We establish our presence in the Philippines offering passenger services, ramp handling and ground equipment maintenance – contracts we still operate to this day.

dnata completes the acquisition of CIAS, a ground services and inflight catering provider in Singapore.

dnata enters the European market for the first time in Switzerland, taking over the airport handling specialists Jet Aviation Handling AG.

Alpha Flight Group, an inflight catering and retail company, is acquired to continue the expansion of our portfolio.

‘One dnata’ forms the foundation of our new company philosophy and fresh visual branding. The new brand unifies our global operations under one common approach.

Our UK presence continues to grow with a majority stake in Travel Republic, a travel agency specialising in categorised holiday packages.

We find a new home at Al Maktoum International Airport, Dubai’s future aviation hub, playing an active role in the development of its airport operations functions

On the travel trade side of the business, we acquire Stella Travel Services and take operational control of the group’s five travel brands, including TravelBag and Travel2. Continuing our expansion, dnata acquires UK based Gold Medal Travel Group, a tailor-made holiday supplier to the independent travel trade.

We acquire a stake in the globally-recognised tour bus operator City Sightseeing, investing in its Dubai operations.

dnata takes its first steps into South America, acquiring Brazilian company RM Ground Services and expanding its on the ground expertise to a new continent.

In Europe, dnata signs an agreement to acquire Aviapartner Cargo Services, a ground handling specialist operating from Schiphol Amsterdam Airport.

Increasing our representation in Europe, we purchase a stake in Milan-based ground handling services SPA under the brand Airport Handling.

dnata's destination management services expand to the east with Destination Asia, a Bangkok-based DMC operating in 11 countries across the continent.

Aeronautical engineering becomes part of the dnata portfolio, as we acquire a stake in GTA Aviation.

dnata increases its European presence with the acquisition of Air Dispatch, a Warsaw-based provider of centralised load control services.

dnata sets foot in the United States of America with the acquisition of Metro Air Service, a Nashville-based shipping specialist and mail handling provider.

Our US footprint expands with the acquisition of Ground Services International, providers of ground handling services across 14 cities.

Passenger handling services commence in Amsterdam, one of Europe's busiest travel hubs. This expansion proves our expertise and proficiency for managing the largest travel contracts in the world.

dnata opens two cargo facilities dedicated to perishable goods in the USA, catering facilities in Melbourne and Dublin, and new marhaba lounges in Karachi and Melbourne to continue expanding our footprint in global airport operations.

One Cargo, our digital platform for cargo teams, streamlines our customers’ booking process and service, to ensure a seamless experience at delivery bays while connecting our global operations to a single technology platform.

DUBZ, a baggage technology and logistics company that emerged from Dubai’s incubator programme Intelak, joins the dnata portfolio to bring pre- and post-departure airport services to passengers in Dubai.

In North America, we introduce catering and airport operations in Houston, Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Vancouver. We also expand operations at Washington Dulles International Airport, hiring additional employees to our airport team.

dnata City East opens at London Heathrow, significantly increasing cargo capacity at the UK’s busiest airport with a bespoke export facility encompassing industry leading technology.

In response to the global pandemic, dnata maintains global trade and the flow of essential goods by delivering best-in class cargo services. Our teams handle tens of thousands of PPE, life-saving medical supplies and pharmaceuticals.

dnata Catering launches a dedicated in-flight retail centre of excellence. The new specialist unit delivers tailor-made onboard retail programmes and innovative solutions for airline customers, supporting them to maximise onboard ancillary revenue and enhance passenger satisfaction.

dnata City North, a state-of-the art cargo complex, opens at Manchester Airport. Representing an investment of over GBP 30 million, the 150,000 sq ft facility allows us to significantly expand and consolidate our Manchester operations.

dnata becomes the first global air and travel services provider to sign up to the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) 25by2025 initiative, aiming to voluntarily advance gender diversity in the aviation industry

marhaba launches its globally renowned Meet & Greet services in Australia to help travellers enjoy a safe and seamless travel experience throughout their journey. The launch provides arriving and departing passengers with marhaba services at Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane airports.

dnata inaugurates a new, state-of-the-art cargo centre at London Heathrow Airport (LHR) as part of dnata City East, while also significantly expanding our operations in Iraq with a new, advanced cool chain facility and a bus maintenance facility with a combined investment of US$3.5 million.

Wisskirchen Handling Services is acquired, giving us a footprint in German cargo operations at the Cologne Bonn Cargo Centre.

Alpha Flight Services signs a concession agreement with Ras Al Khaimah International Airport to provide services to 10+ airlines, while also operating 3 F&B outlets and the airport’s lounge.

dnata Travel Management, the GCC’s leading corporate travel provider, becomes American Express Global Business Travel’s preferred travel partner for the Middle East, marking a significant partnership milestone for our business.

Our airport operations expertise sees us become the preferred provider for ground handling, lounge operations and meet and greet services at the recently opened Abeid Amani Karume International Airport, Zanzibar.

dnata expands its operations in Canada through its partnership with the GTA Group, offering cargo services in Calgary and Vancouver, in addition to established operations in Toronto.

We successfully integrated autonomous drones into our cargo operations at DXB and DWC airports, reducing processing times by 20% on rack inventories and achieving over 99% accuracy in shipment tracking.

Arabian Adventures, the leading destination management company in the UAE, expands its operations to Oman to provide end-to-end destination solutions and curated tailor-made experiences for business guests.

Airport Handling, a majority-owned subsidiary of dnata, is awarded a seven-year ground handling license by Aeroporti di Roma to establish operations at Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO).