dnata will operate from a 5,000 sqm warehouse facility within WSI’s 24-hour Cargo Precinct, supported by an additional 4,000 sqm of surrounding land. The airport will deliver the site as a cold shell, with dnata undertaking a full operational fit-out of the terminal, including critical infrastructure and the installation of a semi-motorised materials handling system.

Approximately A$6 million of the investment will be allocated to specialised equipment and technology to ensure scalable, efficient and future-ready cargo operations, including capabilities to support specialised cargo such as pharmaceuticals and other time- and temperature-sensitive shipments.

Freighter operations are scheduled to commence in July 2026, ahead of the airport’s full passenger opening later this year. 

The facility will handle up to 60,000 tonnes of cargo annually at maturity, strengthening capacity in New South Wales, which plays a central role in Australia’s air freight network. 

The new operation is projected to create approximately 50 direct roles in its initial phase, with further employment opportunities anticipated as volumes grow and operations expand. In addition to direct jobs, the facility will generate broader economic benefits across freight forwarding, logistics, ground handling and associated supply chain services in Western Sydney. 

Burt Sigsworth, Managing Director of dnata Airport Operations - Australia said: “Our investment in Western Sydney International reflects strong confidence in the region’s long-term economic trajectory and the critical role air freight plays in supporting Australian trade.”

“By establishing a purpose-built cargo facility from day one, we are strengthening supply chain resilience, supporting local industry and creating skilled employment opportunities in one of the country’s fastest-growing economic corridors.”

The development of dedicated cargo infrastructure at WSI is expected to enhance efficiency for airlines, freight forwarders and integrators, improving connectivity for time-sensitive and high-value goods moving through New South Wales. 

Simon Hickey, Chief Executive Officer of WSI, said dnata was a terrific addition to the airport’s premier 24-hour Cargo Precinct and would provide cargo and ground handling services for both international and domestic airlines, boosting the nation’s critical supply chains.  

“We’re thrilled to welcome dnata Cargo to WSI’s brand-new cargo hub, bringing its top-tier services for airlines and their customers and creating more meaningful job opportunities for workers across Greater Sydney,” he said.  

“Our purpose-built 24-hour Cargo Precinct will increase Sydney’s air cargo capacity and provide dedicated access via the upgraded Northern Road with close proximity to growing freight and logistics centres at Kemps Creek and the Aerotropolis. 

“Like everything at WSI, the Cargo Precinct is built for growth, and while we’re excited to open stage one and launch operations by the end of July, it also has capacity to expand significantly over the years ahead, in line with market demands.”  

Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Catherine King welcomed dnata Cargo and said the new freight operator will connect Western Sydney to the world, allowing us to move another 60,000 tonnes of cargo through Sydney’s new airport every year.

“Western Sydney is the logistics heart of NSW, and our new airport will work hand in hand with other Australian Government investments, like the Moorebank Intermodal Terminal, to get goods off planes and across the country quickly and efficiently,” she said.

“This airport is built to grow, which will give Australian businesses the capacity and ability to grow alongside it.”

WSI’s Cargo Precinct includes warehousing and will be capable of servicing eight wide-body aircraft at any one time and will open with capacity to handle at least 220,000 tonnes of freight a year. 

The announcement builds on dnata’s earlier commitment, through its Catering & Retail division, to invest in developing an advanced inflight catering centre within WSI’s Cargo Precinct. The new facility will be capable of producing up to three million meals annually, supporting airline partners operating at Sydney’s first 24-hour airport. 

dnata’s operations in Australia 

dnata has a long-established presence in Australia, operating across nine airports nationwide, where it provides cargo, ground handling, passenger services and inflight catering. The company supports more than 107,000 aircraft movements per year, and processes around 300,000 tonnes of cargo across its Australian network. Through its catering division, dnata produces and delivers more than 54 million meals annually for airline partners. 

Employing approximately 8,000 people across Australia, dnata plays a significant role in supporting aviation connectivity, trade flows and supply chain performance in one of the Asia-Pacific region’s most dynamic markets. The investments at Western Sydney International reinforce this long-term commitment to strengthening national infrastructure and supporting sustainable industry growth. 

In his new role, Gareth will be responsible for driving strategic growth and operational excellence across dnata’s inflight catering and retail businesses in Australia and Singapore, with further expansion planned throughout Southeast Asia. He will lead a team of over 4,500 dedicated professionals who collectively prepare more than 54 million world-class meals for over 275,000 flights annually, serving a diverse portfolio of over 70 airline customers.

Gareth joined dnata Catering & Retail as Chief Financial Officer in 2022, and has since played a pivotal role in supporting its successful transformation and growth across the region. His promotion reflects dnata’s commitment to recognising and empowering talent from within the organisation.

Robin Padgett, CEO of dnata Catering & Retail, said: “Gareth is a proven leader with the experience, insight, and energy to drive our business forward in a region full of opportunity. His deep understanding of our operations and strategic approach have already made a meaningful impact. I’m confident that under his leadership, we’ll continue to strengthen our customer partnerships, enhance service quality, and accelerate growth across Australia and Southeast Asia.”

With more than two decades of global experience in senior finance and operational leadership roles, Gareth has held key positions across the airline services, logistics, and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sectors. Prior to joining dnata, he spent over ten years with Agility, where he led strategic initiatives across multiple markets.

dnata’s catering and retail division is one of the world’s leading inflight hospitality providers. With a global team of over 10,400 professionals, the company produces more than 110 million meals annually, serving full-service, low-cost, and VIP carriers from over 60 locations worldwide. Its innovative retail solutions and commitment to quality have earned it a reputation for excellence across the aviation industry.

The contract will see dnata provide retail products across Jetstar’s extensive Asia Pacific network including Jetstar Airways in Australia and New Zealand, Jetstar Asia which operates out of Singapore, and Jetstar Japan.

dnata and Jetstar will continue to work together to create menus which provide a range of pre-order and buy-on-board options for millions of customers each year.

Lou D’alessio, Chief Retail Officer, dnata Catering & Retail Australia, said: “The ever-changing inflight retail trends make data analysis crucial for developing and evolving menus based on customer feedback and sales. We’re committed to sourcing high quality products and constantly enhancing our offering. We look forward to continuing to support and deliver on Jetstar’s ambitious growth plans as a key partner in Australia.”

Continued investment in Australia

dnata has recently announced significant infrastructure investments to drive future growth in Australia. This included an AUS$ 17 million inflight catering centre at the new Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport (WSI), which will be capable of producing three million quality meals annually.

dnata also partnered with Melbourne Airport to expand its existing facility, increasing annual capacity to over 25 million meals. Representing an AUS$ 50 million investment, this development will enhance dnata’s ability to meet the evolving needs of its growing customer base with innovative catering and retail solutions.

Serving over 40 airline customers, including Jetstar, dnata operates at nine airports across Australia with a team of over 4,000 hospitality professionals. In the financial year 2023-24, dnata Catering & Retail Australia uplifted over 50 million meals for more than 300,000 flights in Australia. In 2024 alone, dnata has invested more than AUS$ 200 million in products sourced from local Australian suppliers.

Globally, dnata’s catering and retail division is a leading inflight hospitality provider. It produces over 110 million meals annually, serving full-service, low-cost and VIP carriers from more than 60 locations.

dnata’s highly trained teams at Melbourne International Airport (MEL) and Sydney International Airport (SYD) will produce and uplift an estimated 380,000 meals to the three airlines annually, ensuring a memorable dining experience onboard the airlines’ flights between the two cities and China. The carriers will connect Melbourne and China with a total of 19 weekly services, transporting approximately 200,000 passengers per year.

Following recent agreements with Hainan Airlines and Tianjin Airlines, Beijing Capital Airlines is the third airline within the HNA Group to award a contract to dnata in Australia.

Mark Stubbings, Chief Commercial Officer, dnata Catering & Retail Australia, said: “We are delighted to welcome Hainan Airlines, Tianjin Air and Beijing Capital Airlines back to Australia and thank the HNA Group for their trust in dnata’s services. The success of launching operations with the three airlines highlights the dedicated effort and professionalism of our teams in delivering best-in-class services. We look forward to contributing to their passengers’ memorable inflight experience.”

Including the three HNA Group airlines, dnata provides catering and retail services in Australia to over 40 airline customers at nine airports with a team of more than 4,000 hospitality professionals. In the financial year 2023-24, dnata Catering & Retail teams uplifted over 60 million meals for over 250,000 flights in the country.

dnata’s catering and retail division is one of the world’s leading inflight hospitality providers. The company’s over 10,500 catering professionals produce over 110 million meals annually, serving full service, low-cost and VIP carriers from more than 60 locations.

dnata Catering & Retail (dnata) is investing $17 million to build an advanced inflight catering centre within the Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport (WSI) Cargo Precinct, which will be capable of producing three million quality meals each year.

dnata Catering & Retail Australia’s Chief Commercial Officer, Mark Stubbings, said the significant investment at WSI once again underlines the organisation’s strong, long-term commitment to the Australian aviation industry.

“Our highly trained team, advanced facility and equipment will deliver world-class services and products, helping WSI establish itself as a leading international aviation hub,” he said.

“We are excited to contribute to the airport’s growth and success with our innovative approach and passion for excellence.”

He added that dnata’s operations will create more meaningful job opportunities as well, with recruitment set to begin in 2026 for a wide range of roles, including chefs, drivers, and catering attendants. 

“Thousands of workers – many of whom live in Western Sydney – have helped build this transformational greenfield airport, so I’m pleased to confirm that dnata’s investment will also create more than 200 new, direct jobs over the next 10 years,” he said.

WSI CEO Simon Hickey said dnata’s investment is another decisive signal of the airport’s rapid progress and premier airline offering as the business prepares for take-off in late 2026.

“dnata is investing in WSI and investing in the future growth and opportunities this airport will offer top-tier airlines when we open next year,” he said.

“Being situated within our on-airport Cargo Precinct presents unrivalled operational efficiencies for dnata and airlines – including seamless integration and proximity to the terminal as well as dedicated airside access.

“What’s more, WSI’s prime location in Australia’s multicultural heartland and brand-new transport connections can also give dnata ‘food for thought’ in supporting access to the state’s local produce and vibrant regional food scene.”

dnata’s 3,200 m² facility at WSI will incorporate the latest technologies in design and operation to minimise its environmental footprint, featuring energy-efficient equipment, a recycled water system and a waste treatment plant.  Its agreement with WSI also allows dnata to expand the site as airline customers grow in line with airport demand, reaching a total of up to 6,400 m².

“Like everything at WSI, dnata’s centre is built for growth so it can expand as demand grows over the decades ahead, which will also create more and more jobs,” Hickey said.

Construction of the dnata facility within WSI’s Cargo Precinct is already underway and expected to be completed in late 2026. Its initial $17 million investment also includes a fleet of ground support equipment, such as catering trucks and light vehicles.  

Representing an AUS$ 50 million investment, this development will enhance dnata’s ability to meet the evolving needs of its growing customer base with innovative catering and retail solutions.

The project will add 5,700m² to dnata’s existing facility, increasing its total footprint to over 16,000m². This will make it the largest airline catering centre in Victoria, with the capacity to produce 25 million meals annually.  Construction is already underway, with the newly built area scheduled to become operational in September 2026.

dnata currently serves 20 airline customers with a team of 1,000 highly-trained employees in Melbourne, contributing to an excellent onboard dining experience on over 60,000 flights annually.

Hiranjan Aloysius, dnata Catering & Retail’s Regional CEO for Asia Pacific, said: “This significant expansion of our Melbourne facility is an important step in our ongoing growth journey, enabling us to meet the rapidly increasing demand for our quality services. It will also contribute to our efforts to support the local economy and communities by creating new jobs and stimulating growth in associated sectors. We will continue to invest in our highly trained team, infrastructure and equipment to deliver outstanding meals and retail offerings that passengers love.”

Jai McDermott, Melbourne Airport Chief of Ground Transport, Property and Retail, said: “This development is a significant milestone in the long-standing partnership between dnata and Melbourne Airport. This project, and its interface with airside operations, will streamline dnata’s ways of working here at Melbourne Airport, and will ensure that as Melbourne Airport grows so too will dnata.

“This project will lay the foundation for dnata to accommodate new customers and support the long-term growth of existing airlines, especially as Melbourne Airport embarks on its own expansion to construct a third runway.”

dnata’s expansion in Melbourne reflects its commitment to consistently enhancing its footprint and offering in Australia. The company’s planned AUS$ 80 million investment in infrastructure is expected to create over 300 direct jobs over the next three years, while also generating indirect employment through partnerships with local suppliers. In 2024 alone, dnata has invested more than AUS$ 200 million in products sourced from local Australian suppliers.

dnata currently provides catering and retail services in Australia to over 40 airline customers at nine airports with a team of more than 4,000 hospitality professionals. In the financial year 2023-24, dnata Catering & Retail’s teams uplifted over 50 million meals in the country for over 300,000 flights.

dnata’s catering and retail division is one of the world’s leading inflight hospitality providers. In the first six months of the financial year 2024-25, dnata’s customer-oriented teams produced over 50 million meals, serving full service, low-cost and VIP carriers from more than 60 locations.

The partnership will see dnata Catering & Retail provide its quality catering services to the airline at Sydney International Airport (SYD). dnata’s dedicated team will uplift over 125,000 world-class meals, contributing to a premium onboard experience for 60,000 passengers on Turkish Airlines’ over 200 annual flights.

The new contract expands the partnership between the two parties across the Asia Pacific region, with dnata already providing its catering services to the airline in Melbourne (MEL) and Singapore (SIN).

Across all three airports, dnata Catering & Retail will be supplying a total of 710,000 meals across 1,250 flights per year to the airline.

Hiranjan Aloysius, dnata Catering & Retail’s Regional CEO for Asia Pacific, said: “We are delighted to have been trusted to become Turkish Airlines’ exclusive inflight catering provider in Australia and Singapore. It is testament to the quality and skills of our experienced team of chefs who consistently create outstanding culinary products that are contributing to the passenger’s on-board experience.”

Including Turkish Airways, dnata provides catering and retail services in Australia and Singapore to over 40 airline customers at 11 airports. A team of more than 4,500 culinary professionals prepare and uplift over 70 million quality and safe meals, ensuring an excellent onboard dining experience for over 250,000 flights annually.

dnata’s teams of award-winning chefs will begin to dish up the most popular global festive meal of traditional roast turkey from mid-December. Some airlines will serve their guests a gentle starter of local prawn cocktail or mixed grain and cranberry salad before progressing to the showstopper. While passengers will consume a total of 6.9 tonnes of meat, a typical meal will include the essential ingredients, including savoury sage and onion stuffing, crispy roast potatoes, and tender Brussels sprouts.  

Global menu variations

Travellers should save some space after their meal, however, with a choice of delightful gastronomical desserts which vary depending on where their journey begins. The traditional mince pie, Christmas cake and festive-themed chocolates are prepared for airlines jetting out of the UK. In Australia, passengers will be greeted with the choice of warm fruit pudding, Christmas pudding cheesecake, or gingerbread-spiced crumble topped mousse.

In the USA, a popular special dessert amongst American airline partners is Pumpkin pie with spiced mascarpone or cream, or Pumpkin cheesecake and stewed apples.

Robin Padgett, Divisional Senior Vice President for Catering and Retail, dnata, explains the process of creating a festive menu: “An airline’s menus are planned out once per year, and many airlines have cyclical menus to reflect the seasonal changes. 

“Festive menus are signed off in November, after they have been developed by our award-winning chefs. Recipes are then created for all our global stations along with loading and plating guides with photographs of each stage, to ensure consistent delivery. 

“We also take the special requirements of our airline partners into consideration, with Halal-prepared meat as well as tasty vegetarian alternatives. Special meals account for 45 per cent of total meals provided for our big airline carriers.”

dnata also provides catering services to airline partners via tailor-made on-board retail offerings. 

“We’ll ensure that passengers of our retail customers also receive the festive experience with turkey, cranberry and stuffing sandwiches and a mince pie to purchase as they make their special journey,” Robin says.

Innovation to reduce waste

While preparing large quantities of festive meals, dnata Catering’s teams collaborate closely with airline partners to examine consumption patterns and utilise predictive analytics to enhance food and beverage loading for in-flight services. This careful analysis not only helps minimise food waste but also reduces the fuel consumption that comes with carrying excess weight. Additionally, whenever possible, dnata Catering aims to source local ingredients to lower the food miles associated with its menus.

“We take great pride in the confidence our global clients have in us to deliver exceptional meals made from locally sourced ingredients for their passengers,” Robin concludes.

dnata’s catering and retail division is one of the world’s leading inflight hospitality providers. In the first six months of the financial year 2024-25, dnata’s customer-oriented teams produced over 50 million meals, serving full service, low-cost and VIP carriers from more than 60 locations.

Previously the company’s CEO for Australia, Hiranjan will now lead dnata Catering & Retail’s business and operations across the broader region. His remit will cover 11 airports in Australia and Singapore, with further expansion planned.  Hiranjan will manage a team of 4,500 culinary professionals who prepare and uplift over 70 million quality meals, ensuring an excellent onboard dining experience on over 250,000 flights annually.

Hiranjan will continue to be based in Brisbane, Australia, and report to Robin Padgett, CEO of dnata Catering & Retail.

Since joining dnata in 2005, Hiranjan has been instrumental in expanding the company’s catering and retail footprint in Australia. His notable achievements include the opening of four advanced catering facilities, the smooth integration of Qantas’ catering businesses, and the successful launch of new business channels.

Robin Padgett said: “Hiranjan’s promotion to Regional CEO is very well-deserved. Over the past two decades, he has consistently delivered exceptional results, establishing dnata Catering & Retail as Australia’s leading inflight caterer. His efforts in driving business growth and enhancing customer experience have been crucial to our success. I wish Hiranjan every success in this new role.”

dnata’s catering and retail division is one of the world’s leading inflight hospitality providers. The company’s 11,700 catering professionals produce over 123 million meals annually, serving full service, low-cost and VIP carriers from more than 60 locations.

Today’s meeting follows dnata’s launch of their first catering facility at Sunshine Coast Airport in January, having partnered with Bonza, Australia’s newest low-cost airline. The creation of the new facility was a collaborative effort to offer quality catering & retail services for carriers locally. Since the launch, the catering services provider uplifted 250,000 retail products.

dnata’s retail experts have worked closely with Bonza’s team to select and develop a broad range of Australian made products. These include quality meals, beverages, and snacking items, helping the airline provide a fresh approach to the onboard experience and maximise ancillary revenue.

To date, dnata has invested more than AUS$ 1 million in products sourced from local Australian suppliers, including suppliers based on the Sunshine Coast. This direct investment has stimulated economic growth, fostering job creation and contributing to the overall expansion of businesses in the region.

Hiranjan Aloysius, CEO of dnata Catering & Retail Australia, said: “As Australia’s leading inflight caterer, we are committed to playing our part in the growth and development of the Sunshine Coast’s aviation industry. We will continue to invest and work in partnership with the airport to ensure a consistent world-class dining experience for passengers on board each flight. In all our efforts, we will be dedicated to bolstering local businesses and supporting communities across the region.  

“We thank Sunshine Coast Airport and our customers for their trust in our quality services and look forward to future collaboration.”

Chris Mills, CEO of Sunshine Coast Airport, said: “The Sunshine Coast and wider region is experiencing rapid growth in its population, industry and economy. It’s important the Airport continues to support this growth by creating new opportunities. We’ve invested significantly in dnata’s facility to help create jobs and opportunities for local food and beverage providers. Our work with dnata has led to the creation of the first catering and retail facility based at Sunshine Coast Airport, supporting Bonza’s all Australian menu. I want to thank dnata for their support of the Airport and local businesses across the region.”

About dnata
Including its newest catering centre at Sunshine Coast Airport, dnata Catering now operates 15 facilities with a team of over 4,000 highly trained professionals, providing tailor-made inflight catering and retail services at 10 airports across Australia.

dnata is a leading global air and travel services provider. Established in 1959, the company offers quality and safe ground handling, cargo, travel, catering and retail services in over 30 countries across six continents. In the financial year 2022-23, dnata’s customer-oriented teams handled over 710,000 aircraft turns, moved over 2.7 million tonnes of cargo, uplifted 111.4 million meals, and recorded a total transaction value (TTV) of travel services of US$ 1.9 billion.

About Sunshine Coast Airport
Sunshine Coast Airport is the fastest growing airport in Australia and the first airport in Australia to hold Level 3+ Carbon Neutrality status. By 2040, total direct employment at the Airport is expected to grow from 530 to 2,400 direct jobs and contribute an estimated $406million in total to Australia’s GDP.

Sunshine Coast Airport Pty Ltd operates and manages Sunshine Coast Airport, the gateway to the Sunshine Coast and Noosa regions, under a 99-year lease from Sunshine Coast Council which commenced in December 2017. In July 2023, Sunshine Coast Airport was declared a priority development area (PDA) by the Queensland Government.

Sunshine Coast Airport services 14 destinations including Adelaide, Albury, Auckland, Avalon, Cairns, Darwin, Mackay, Melbourne, Mildura, Newcastle, Rockhampton, Sydney, Townsville and Whitsunday Coast.  

Hiranjan Aloysius, CEO of dnata Catering & Retail Australia, said: “As Australia’s leading inflight caterer, we are committed to contributing to the local economy and communities across our operations. We pride ourselves in our extensive work with local suppliers, aiding their achievements, while ensuring our produce is locally sourced and super fresh. This ensures that our airline customers receive best-in-class, international quality cuisine with the least possible environmental footprint.”

dnata delivers excellent dining experiences for millions of passengers on board over 45 airline customers’ international and domestic flights. Produce supplied to dnata Catering is sourced from 120 producers across Australia, providing 329 tonnes of red meat, 117 tonnes of sea food, plus 2,700 tonnes of fruit and vegetables annually. To create sumptuous dishes, dnata’s chefs also use over one million litres of milk and 134 tonnes of cheese from local markets. A total of 274 tonnes of ice cream is used annually to create a variety of delicious desserts.

dnata’s extensive operations throughout Australia, including its state-of-the-art facility in Melbourne, use the finest ingredients from the closest possible source, contributing to the success of local suppliers. Vegetables such as radishes, herbs, spring onions, Dutch carrots, cabbages, and beetroot are locally grown in each location. This minimises the environmental impact from long haul logistics and handling, providing the freshest produce possible to dnata Catering and its airline customers.

For example, a dish created by dnata’s Melbourne catering team for a global airline’s First and Business class passengers, consists of beef tenderloin sourced locally from Victoria, steamed mange tout from Mildura, Victoria, crushed potatoes from Virginia, South Australia, and local Victoria-grown parsley.

dnata’s Australian-produced meals are also served on international flights into the country. Several airlines with tight turnaround schedules prefer to transport their inflight meals and snacks for both legs of a flight, ensuring passengers receive dnata’s consistent quality cuisine.

Including its newest catering centre at Sunshine Coast Airport (MCY), dnata Catering now operates 15 facilities with a team of over 3,000 highly trained professionals, providing tailor-made inflight catering and retail services at 10 airports across Australia.

dnata is a leading global air and travel services provider. Established in 1959, the company offers quality and safe ground handling, cargo, travel, catering and retail services in over 30 countries across six continents. In the financial year 2022-23, dnata’s customer-oriented teams handled over 710,000 aircraft turns, moved over 2.7 million tonnes of cargo, uplifted 111.4 million meals, and recorded a total transaction value (TTV) of travel services of US$ 1.9 billion.

All data as of financial year 2022-23, ending 31 March 2023

In June 2022, dnata announced that it would invest US$100 million in green operations in two years to further enhance its global environmental efficiency globally.

Steve Allen, CEO of dnata Group, said: “We are proud to have made significant progress on improving our environmental performance since the announcement of our strategic objectives. I thank each member of our team for their hard work and contribution to our green initiatives that help us make a difference across our global operations. 

“We will continue our investments and efforts alongside our partners to further reduce our environmental footprint.”

Investing in renewable energy

As part of its efforts to further improve global resource efficiency, dnata has continued to make significant investments in renewable energy. This includes the installation of rooftop solar power systems across its existing facilities.

dnata has installed solar panels at its operating facilities in Singapore, and at its SnapFresh facility in Australia. These generate over 4,300 MWh of renewable electricity annually, saving approximately 1.85 million kilogrammes of carbon dioxide emissions. Phase 1 of a solar PV panel installation in Pakistan also commenced, which is expected to generate 244,000 kWh per annum. Furthermore, all electricity purchased in the UK and Ireland is from renewables from local grids.

Conserving water

In addition to solar power, dnata is investing in systems to collect and re-use condensate from air conditioning units and rainwater at both of its existing and new facilities. These initiatives optimise water usage and associated costs.

dnata’s new 20,000m2 cargo facility in Iraq, which will begin operations in 2024, will include environmentally sustainable features including a rooftop rainwater harvesting system. This will capture, treat and store rainwater in underground tanks, feeding irrigation systems within the facility as well as for potable uses, achieving a 50% saving on water costs by 2025. The system has also been configured in the Philippines using the same technology, but to collect and recycle rainwater for drinking and washing purposes. This technology will also shortly be implemented at dnata’s Singapore facilities.

With the UAE’s dry climate, dnata has installed a Reverse Osmosis Plant to re-use condensate water from the cooling systems in its cargo warehouses in Dubai. This has resulted in 5,000 litres of water per day being reused for washing and cleaning.

dnata also launched a bottle-free drinking water system at its Corporate Headquarters, dnata Travel Centre and Alpha catering facilities, which will reduce plastic consumption and conserve over 95,000 litres of bottled water per year.

Transforming GSE fleet and using biofuels

dnata continues to invest in the electrification of its ground handling fleet, and the use of biofuels where feasible, to reduce emissions. More than 15% of the company’s global fleet is now electrified. dnata is continuing to support its global airport partners to prepare the infrastructure for further electrification.

dnata understands that electrification is not the only solution to its ground handling fleet strategy. It carefully considers airports’ climatic conditions and available infrastructure, and invests in a mix of equipment types, including biodiesel, electric, hydrogen and hybrid to maximise environmental and operational efficiency globally.

As part of the crucial role that it plays during busy winter operations in Switzerland, dnata added five new hybrid de-icing trucks to its ground support equipment (GSE) fleet in 2022. This increased the number of electric GSE in its operations in the country to 35%. In The Netherlands, dnata switched to 100% biofuel for all its legacy GSE fleet in January 2023, marking another milestone in its sustainable journey in Amsterdam, where 55% of its fleet is electric.

Reducing waste to landfill

In order to reduce its carbon footprint in ways other than emissions, dnata is determined to reduce waste to landfill, and is collaborating with industry leaders and policymakers on the treatment of international catering waste. In close co-ordination with the airport community to enhance the segregation and retrieval of recyclables airside, dnata is targeting a 20% diversion of waste from landfill by 2024. In addition, dnata is investing in sustainable solutions for cargo waste materials, such as transport belts and nets that are currently destined for landfill.

dnata Catering’s retail division is also working closely with its airline partners, introducing the pre-ordering of passenger inflight meals. This cuts significant food wastage, and therefore the need for airlines to burn larger quantities of fuel to transport heavier aircraft, reducing emissions.

IATA’s IEnvA Programme

In December 2022, dnata signed up to the IATA Environmental Assessment (IEnvA) programme, based on globally recognised environmental and sustainability standards, as well as industry best practices. It is a commitment to continually improve environmental sustainability within the aviation field and is focused specifically on dnata’s core operations. These include cargo handling facilities, catering, freight forwarders, and ramp handlers. dnata is working towards full certification prior to the end of 2023.

United Nations Global Impact

dnata also joined the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), a voluntary global initiative that promotes responsible business practices, and the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals. dnata has committed to implement the Ten Principles of the UNGC in the areas of human rights, labour, environment, and anti-corruption. dnata will benefit from access to the UNGC’s extensive tools and resources to engage with its employees across the globe and improve their learning and training in Sustainability.

dnata is a leading global air and travel services provider. Established in 1959, the company offers quality and safe ground handling, cargo, travel, catering and retail services in 38 countries across six continents. In the financial year 2022-23, dnata’s customer-oriented teams handled over 710,000 aircraft turns, moved over 2.7 million tonnes of cargo, uplifted 111.4 million meals, and recorded a total transaction value (TTV) of travel services of US$ 1.9 billion.

dnata’s global experience and comprehensive, end-to-end solution will ensure a seamless implementation and delivery of the airline’s retail program across its operations. dnata’s retail experts have worked in partnership with Bonza to select and develop a broad range of Australian made products. These include quality meals, beverages, and snacking items, helping the airline provide a fresh approach to the onboard experience and maximise ancillary revenue.

dnata Catering will support Bonza’s operations from a new facility near the carrier’s base at Sunshine Coast Airport (MCY) – the first of its kind for the burgeoning airport.

Including its newest catering centre, dnata Catering now operates 15 facilities with a team of over 3,000 highly trained professionals, providing tailor-made inflight catering and retail services to over 40 airlines in Australia.

Having launched operations in January 2023, Bonza, Australia’s only independent low-cost carrier, currently offer 17 routes across 13 locations from its home base at MCY.

Hiranjan Aloysius, Chief Executive Officer of dnata Catering Australia, said: “We are immensely proud to have been selected as the inflight retail partner of Bonza. Our innovative solutions, combined with our deep understanding of passenger needs, will ensure a memorable and unique inflight experience, helping the airline deliver on its ambitious growth plans. We are extremely honoured to be part of this historical moment in Australian aviation history and look forward to contributing to Bonza’s success.”

Carly Povey, Chief Commercial Officer at Bonza said: “dnata has played a key role in delivering the world’s first onboard menu entirely sourced from its home country, served on demand via the Fly Bonza app and delivered directly to customer’s seats. The creation and delivery of our all-Aussie menu is no mean feat and has resulted in the first ever catering facility at Bonza’s backyard - Sunshine Coast Airport. We look forward to growing our onboard menu to take more great Aussie food and drink products to new heights.”

dnata’s catering and retail division is one of the world’s leading inflight hospitality providers. In the first six months of the financial year 2022-23, dnata’s customer-oriented teams produced over 50 million meals, serving full service, low-cost and VIP carriers from more than 60 locations.

From mid-December to Boxing Day, the most popular meal for dnata’s global airline partners of a traditional roast turkey dinner will be served. Included will be the important ingredients of such a culturally important meal: turkey, sage and onion stuffing, roast potatoes, Brussels sprouts, finished with Christmas cake and mince pies. The most popular customer additions will be cranberry sauce and bread sauce.

Robin Padgett, Divisional Senior Vice President for Catering and Retail, dnata, explains the process of creating a festive menu: “An airline’s menus are planned out once per year, and many airlines have four annual menus to reflect the seasonal changes.

“Festive menus are signed off in November, after they have been developed by our award-winning chefs. Recipes are then created for all our global stations along with loading and plating guides with photographs of each stage, so that the process is fool proof.

“We also take the special requirements of our airline partners into consideration, with Halal-prepared meat as well as tasty vegetarian alternatives. Special meals account for 45 per cent of total meals provided for our big airline carriers.”

dnata also provides catering services to airline partners via tailor-made on-board retail offerings. “We’ll ensure that passengers of our retail customers also receive the festive experience with turkey, cranberry and stuffing sandwiches and a mince pie to purchase as they make their special journey,” Robin says.

While producing such vast quantities of festive meals, dnata’s catering teams work closely with airline customers to analyse consumption trends and use predictive data to optimise the loading of F&B for in-flight catering. Analysis of on-board data not only reduces food waste but also fuel burn associated with carrying excess weight. In addition, where possible dnata Catering sources and supplies local produce to reduce the food miles associated with menus.

“We are proud that our global customers trust us to provide them and their passengers with the highest quality meals and locally sourced ingredients,” Robin concludes.

Global standards, local menus

In the UK, dnata Catering’s traditional roast turkey dinner will be served approximately 8,000 times per day. In addition, 10,000 tray set items including mince pies and festive-themed chocolates and beverages will be distributed.

In the USA, a similar main turkey meal is served. But rather than a mince pie, a popular dessert amongst American airline partners is Pumpkin pie with spiced mascarpone or cream, or Pumpkin cheesecake and stewed apples. This year, airlines have requested additional sweet treats. They include a Yule log and stuffed profiteroles, a gingerbread cookie and a salted chocolate truffle.

While 75,000 traditional roast turkey meals will be served in Australia for international customers, consuming 1.9 tonnes of meat, some airlines will begin with either a local starter of prawn cocktail or mixed grain and cranberry salad. Dessert will be a choice between warm fruit pudding, Christmas pudding cheesecake, or gingerbread-spiced crumble topped mousse.

dnata’s catering and retail division is one of the world’s leading inflight hospitality providers. In the first six months of the financial year 2022-23, dnata’s customer-oriented teams produced over 50 million meals, serving full service, low-cost and VIP carriers from more than 60 locations.

In his new role, Charles will oversee dnata’s operations at 13 airports in four countries, including Australia, Singapore, the Philippines and Indonesia, managing 4,800 aviation professionals. Charles will be based in Singapore and report to David Barker, dnata’s Divisional Senior Vice President for Airport Operations. Charles’s appointment is effective immediately.

Charles has over 20 years of experience in the global aviation, travel and logistics industries. He has been with dnata for over three years, previously leading the commercial development of dnata’s international airport operations division globally. He has also been a board director of dnata USA since 2020. Prior to joining dnata, Charles held various senior leadership roles at Swissport International and Thomson Airways in both Switzerland and the UK.

David Barker said: “In recent years dnata has significantly invested in infrastructure, equipment and technology, earning the trust and loyalty of dozens of new airline customers across the Asia Pacific region. Charles’s broad experience and passion for quality and customer success will help us cement our leading position in this strategic market. We stay focussed on consistently delivering world-class services and safety at all dnata airports globally.”

A trusted partner of over 300 airline customers, dnata provides quality and safe ground handling, cargo, catering and travel services in 35 countries. In the financial year 2020-21 dnata’s customer-oriented teams handled 290,000 aircraft, moved 2.7 million tons of cargo, and uplifted some 17 million meals.

The enlarged 16,300 sqm site with direct ramp access will feature an increased number of landside and airside docks as well as enhanced processing capacity and throughput with the flexibility to scale. An additional truck hoist will be in place by mid-2021 to complement the on-airport warehouse’s existing hoist. As an added value, forwarders with airside accredited drivers can now lodge their intact units at the bypass.

dnata also operates a 10,000 sqm dedicated import warehouse at Sydney’s Eastern Suburb of Matraville, where containers are broken down and loose cargo are collected by the forwarding community. This off-airport warehouse is equipped with ball decks to facilitate the de-containerization process.

Brett Fuller, Managing Director, dnata Australia, said: “We are committed to consistently investing in infrastructure and equipment to deliver world-class service, safety and efficiency to our customers. This expansion provides strategic and operational benefits for dnata to support continued cargo volume growth driven by increased customer demand.”

In Australia, dnata runs six cargo terminal operations across Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin, Melbourne and Perth, moving approximately 300,000 tonnes a year nationally for more than 20 airline customers. In recent years dnata has invested significantly in infrastructure, equipment and training to provide the most innovative solutions to the market.

dnata operates cool chain facilities in both Sydney Airport and Melbourne Airport. The facilities were designed and built with flexibility and unique product requirements in mind, enabling the company’s cargo teams to offer an uncompromised temperature-controlled handling and storage solution to airline customers. dnata also operates two cool dollies each at both airports, ensuring the highest quality of supply chain management when handling temperature-sensitive cargo.

dnata is the only air services provider in Australia that has been awarded the Good Distribution Practice (GDP) certification for the pharmaceutical handling services at its facilities. GDP is a program focused on systems for warehouses and distribution centres that store and distribute products that are medicinal or carry active pharmaceutical ingredients. Setting stringent standards, the scheme ensures that consistent quality management systems are in place throughout the entire supply chain. In achieving the certification, dnata proved its capability of handling pharmaceutical products safely and reliably.

A global air services provider and the trusted partner of over 300 airline customers, dnata offers ground handling, cargo and catering services at 127 airports in 19 countries. In the financial year 2019-20 dnata’s customer-oriented teams handled 681,000 aircraft, moved 2.9 million tons of cargo, and uplifted more than 93 million meals.

In Melbourne and Singapore, dnata will ensure safe and smooth turnaround of CEB's flights by delivering ramp and passenger handling services with a team of highly-trained aviation professionals. In Singapore, dnata will also support the carrier's cargo operations from its state-of-the-art facilities. The Sydney contract extension will see dnata continue to provide cargo services to the airline at SYD.

Dirk Goovaerts, dnata's Regional CEO for Asia Pacific, said: "After five years of a successful partnership in Sydney, we are proud to become the ground handler of choice for Cebu Pacific Air at two additional airports in the region. These contract wins demonstrate our valued partner's trust and confidence in our quality services, as well as the dedication and agility of our skilled team. We continue to work hard to consistently provide service excellence to CEB and their customers across the region."

Michael Ivan Shau, Chief Operations Officer at Cebu Pacific, said: "As we continue working towards being a world-class airline, we are always on the lookout for transformative opportunities. Last year, we commenced a network-wide review of our supply chain arrangements, including our airport, ground and cargo handling contracts. As a result of these recent bids, we are pleased to commit a significant part of CEB's ground handling business to dnata across the Asia Pacific region. We believe this move to consolidate contracts across the region with a trusted partner will further support our path towards recovery."

A trusted partner of over 300 airline customers, dnata operates at 126 airports globally. In the Asia Pacific region dnata provides quality and safe ground handling, cargo and catering services to more than 80 airlines at 14 airports in four countries, including Australia, Singapore, Indonesia and The Philippines.

About dnata

dnata is one of the world's largest air services providers. Established in 1959, the company ensures the aviation industry operates smoothly and efficiently at 126 airports. Offering ground handling, cargo, travel, and flight catering services in 35 countries across six continents, dnata is a trusted partner for over 300 airline customers around the world. In the financial year 2019-20 dnata's customer-oriented teams handled 681,000 aircraft, moved 2.9 million tonnes of cargo, uplifted more than 93 million meals, and recorded a total transaction value (TTV) of travel services of US$ 3.0 billion.

About Cebu Air Inc. (PSE: CEB)

Cebu Air Inc. ("CEB") is the largest carrier in the Philippine air transportation industry, offering its low-cost services to more destinations and routes with higher flight frequency within the Philippines than any other airline.

CEB, and its wholly-owned subsidiary Cebgo, fly to 36 domestic and 25 international destinations, with over 100 routes. The CEB network operates flights out of seven strategically placed hubs in the Philippines: Clark, Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Kalibo, Cebu, Iloilo and Manila.

The Cebu Pacific fleet comprises 73 aircraft — seven (7) Airbus A321NEO, five (5) A320NEO, seven (7) Airbus A321CEO, 25 Airbus A320, seven (7) A330, six (6) ATR 72-500, 13 ATR 72-600, one (1) A330 Freighter and two (2) ATR 72-500F Freighter. CEB boasts of one of the youngest fleets in the world, with an average fleet age of five (5) years.

A member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Cebu Pacific has achieved full compliance with IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) — considered as the benchmark of the highest standards for safety in the airline industry, joining a roster of 429 airlines worldwide that have strictly complied with the most stringent of international standards governing aviation safety.

For bookings and further information, guests can visit www.cebupacificair.com. The latest seat sales can be found on CEB's official Twitter (@CebuPacificAir) and Facebook pages.

Guests may also download the Cebu Pacific official mobile app on the App Store and Google Play.

Offering a closed, temperature-controlled system, the specialised containers will ensure safe and seamless delivery of temperature-sensitive goods, including pharmaceuticals and vaccines, between aircraft and dnata’s state-of-the-art cargo facilities.

dnata will operate two cool dollies each at Sydney Airport (SYD) and Melbourne Airport (MEL), providing maximum safety to airline partners and their customers at every stage of the handling process.

Dirk Goovaerts, dnata’s Regional CEO for Asia Pacific, said: “We are thrilled to be the first cargo handler in Australia to launch advanced cool dollies in our operations. Our latest investment underlines our commitment to ensuring reliable and safe end-to-end transportation of pharmaceutical products across the supply chain. We stay focussed on providing continual improvements that enhance the safety and security of our customers’ pharma shipments.”

Vanessa Orth, Chief Commercial Officer, Sydney Airport, said: "Sydney Airport has played a pivotal role throughout the COVID-19 crisis, facilitating the movement of essential workers, medical supplies, agricultural exports, and thousands of people going and coming home. We applaud dnata for their investment in the resilience of Australia's pharmaceutical supply chain, an investment which will ensure Sydney Airport continues to play its central role in the nation's air cargo network."

Shane O'Hare, Chief of Aviation at Melbourne Airport, said: “We congratulate dnata for investing in cool dolly services, which will enable greater movement of temperature-sensitive goods around Australia. The product will certainly add to dnata’s existing cargo capability at Melbourne Airport which is the leading domestic and 24/7 international freight hub in Australia.“

Ramp transportation is one of the most vulnerable stages for temperature-sensitive cargo like pharmaceuticals. Offering world-class cool chain solutions, dnata consistently improves training and processes to transport these precious shipments to the highest international standards. Teams receive specialised training and temperature-sensitive cargo are given priority loading and unloading to ensure that they are moved quickly with minimised temperature fluctuation.

dnata’s new cool dollies allow the company to take pharma handling to a new level. Providing temperature-controlled storage from -25°C up to +25°C, the specialised containers mitigate risk of temperature deviations and contamination throughout the handling process. They have a closed structure with alarms on opening and closing, as well as alerts if temperatures fluctuate above acceptable ranges. The units are also hygienic and easy to clean, which is an important consideration for pharma cargo.

In recent years dnata has invested significantly in infrastructure, equipment and training to ensure that it provides shippers with a transparent and dependable cool chain product. The company has been using the latest technology, best practices and certified warehouses to deliver best-in class services for customers.

In Australia, dnata operates cool chain facilities in Melbourne and Sydney. Designed and built with flexibility and unique product requirements in mind, the facilities enable dnata’s cargo teams to offer an uncompromised temperature-controlled handling and storage solution to airline customers. The temperature-controlled areas in the facilities are monitored with web-based systems to facilitate real time management of all areas. In 2020, dnata’s Melbourne and Sydney facilities processed some 22,000 and 43,000 tonnes of temperature-sensitive pharma and perishable goods, respectively.

dnata is the only air services provider in Australia that has been awarded the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Good Distribution Practice (GDP) certification for the pharmaceutical handling services at its facilities. GDP is a program focused on systems for warehouses and distribution centres that store and distribute products that are medicinal or carry active pharmaceutical ingredients. Setting stringent standards, the scheme ensures that consistent quality management systems are in place throughout the entire supply chain. In achieving the certification, dnata proved its capability of handling pharmaceutical products safely and reliably.

dnata is a global member of Pharma.Aero, a cross-industry collaboration of pharma shippers, CEIV certified cargo communities, airport operators and other air cargo industry stakeholders.

A global air services provider and the trusted partner of over 300 airline customers, dnata offers ground handling, cargo and catering services at 126 airports in 19 countries. In the financial year 2019-20 dnata’s customer-oriented teams handled 681,000 aircraft, moved 2.9 million tons of cargo, and uplifted more than 93 million meals.

Accreditation

dnata is one of the leading cargo handlers in Australia and Singapore that invested in processes and equipment to obtain certification from the industry’s top associations. dnata Australia is proud to be the only cargo handler in the country with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Good Distribution Practices (GDP) certification. dnata Singapore holds the IATA Center of Excellence for Independent Validators (CEIV) Pharma accreditation. This is in addition to ISO 9001:2015 certification for cargo handling services and Halal certification for a special holding room in its Coolchain facility.

The company’s operational processes for exporting and importing air cargo, including transitional warehousing, biosecurity, customs clearance and distribution of pharmaceuticals, medical devices and healthcare industry related materials, follow strict compliance and controlled guidelines.

Partnerships and Industry Memberships

dnata values the importance of partnerships and industry membership:

• dnata is a global member of Cargo IQ and the checkpoints provided is integrated with temperature visibility.

• dnata is a global member of Pharma.Aero, a cross-industry collaboration for Pharma Shippers, CEIV certified cargo communities, Airport Operators and other air cargo industry stakeholders. In Singapore and Australia, dnata is in the process of working with airline partners to implement global pharma tracking, in partnership with Pharma.Aero and Nallian, the world’s first provider of an open app ecosystem and data-sharing platform, to provide real-time end to end temperature visibility. The technology will enable all responsible parties in the value chain to view real-time non-conformances; therefore, any potential cool chain issue can be rectified before pharmaceutical and medical air cargo is compromised.

• dnata Singapore recently joined the Singapore Association of Pharmaceutical Industries (SAPI) to further align with the industry.

• dnata partnered with Unilode Aviation Solutions, the global leader in outsourced Unit Load Device (ULD) management, by installing blue tooth tracking technology on all ULD’s for real-time visibility across our stations in Singapore and Australia.

• dnata works with shippers, forwarders, and airlines to ensure the active use of Envirotainers (RAP’s & RKN’s) to build an effective cool chain solution from shipper to the receiver.

Cool Dollies

To ensure and prepare for the uncompromised integrity of pharmaceutical and perishables in the air cargo supply chain throughout end-to-end distribution, dnata has invested in the manufacturing of cool dollies in both Australia and Singapore. These new dollies, specially designed to serve the ever-growing pharmaceuticals industry, will make dnata the first handling company in both countries to offer a temperature-controlled solution for the transportation of temperature-sensitive goods between the dnata Coolchain Centre and an aircraft. The introduction of a cool dolly service later in the year will provide the peace of mind to pharmaceutical and medical manufacturers as well as health authorities that no other regional cargo handler can currently offer.

Cool Chain Facilities

dnata’s state-of-the-art cargo handling facilities across Singapore, Melbourne and Sydney already have temperature-controlled and monitored cold storage rooms for the handling of all medical air cargo, including vaccines. dnata fully integrates with the air cargo supply chain from shippers to consignees, government agencies to regulatory authorities as well as airlines and airports.

Dirk Goovaerts, Regional CEO Asia Pacific, dnata, said: “Our company strives to stay ahead of the curve by making investments that enable us to offer enhanced services to our customers. dnata is looking forward to being the first mover of a COVID-19 vaccine once it is available.”

Since March of this year, dnata catering has continued to donate excess food destined for inflight services on a weekly basis, with 550,000 food items received so far. This has resulted in 180,000 meals for several charities and causes across the country.

Hiranjan Aloysius, Chief Executive Officer from dnata catering said: “With a strong desire to help our people and others in need, we reached out to our charity partners to donate food items and pre-prepared meals, while also creating hampers and meals for our employees. We will continue our efforts to make a positive impact through initiatives such as food donations and look forward to continuing to work closely with our partners in Australia. Unfortunately, we had to make the difficult decision to stand down a portion of our employees and as an organisation we are very conscious of the impact the recent situation can have on families across Australia. In spite of difficult times, dnata remains committed to supporting all of the communities in which we operate and helping those in need.”

Since 2015, dnata catering has donated over 934,000 meals to OzHarvest that helps not only reduce food waste and environmental impact, but also helps communities, schools and organisations in need.

Ronni Kahn, CEO and Founder of OzHarvest said: “We are incredibly grateful to dnata catering for their ongoing support. Thanks to their generous food donations, we have been able to deliver more than 160,000 meals since March this year to people in need across Australia.”

In addition to donations for OzHarvest, dnata catering’s network of 15 Australian production facilities distributed a multitude of food items to local Australian food charities, children’s hospitals, religious organisations, homeless shelters and others in need. These include:

• Foodbank
• Lifesource Community Care, Sydney
• New Horizons Homeless Care, Sydney
• Sydney Childrens Hospital in Randwick, Sydney
• The Children’s Hospital in Westmead, Sydney
• Brimbank Anglican Church, Victoria
• Anglicare Emergency Food Relief Shelters, Victoria

dnata offers services in ground handling, cargo, catering and travel in 35 countries worldwide, and services more than 300 airlines. In Australia, this includes Emirates and codeshare partner, Qantas.

The initial series covered leadership training courses of which almost 500 have been successfully completed till date. dnata will be expanding these with more programmes to equip the Singapore team with emerging skills that will support the company’s digital innovation and transformation drive in the months ahead. Partnering with organisations like the National University of Singapore (NUS) and National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) Learning Hub, a key focus remains to enhance the team’s skills to use and analyse data that would better position the business in a post-pandemic environment.

Building on the importance of e-learning, dnata has refreshed its internal Learning Management System - My Learning Zone, which is gradually being rolled out to the various stations across the company's network. The digital platform supports dnata’s efforts to provide a more structured learning pathway for the employees through a competency development roadmap. Not only does it enhance learning and its effectiveness via engagement and mobile learning, but it also allows the company to track staff capabilities and compliance that also provides customers with additional reassurance.

In Australia, interactive multi-media technology has been used to transfer traditional face-to-face learning into remote delivery formats. This has enabled training to be facilitated across state borders and ports, alleviating the need for travel and the impacts of social distancing restrictions. In one initiative, a trainer in Adelaide delivered a program to several learners in Brisbane. The learners where able to view the training from their home or local workplace. Other training initiatives in Australia have focussed on the cross-skilling and re-skilling of team members to move from COVID impacted business areas to those areas with higher operational demand. Where possible, this training has been delivered using the existing e-learning platform.

At dnata in the Philippines, learning does not stop during the pandemic either. In exceptional cases where face-to-face training cannot be eliminated, dnata continues to conduct training without compromising the safety of staff by strictly observing established safety protocols. As at other stations across the network, dnata has moved a considerable degree of training to internet-based learning, which has proven to be effective.

Dirk Goovaerts, Regional CEO Asia Pacific, dnata, said: “It has been encouraging to witness the positive spirit of our people, especially the older workforce embracing technology in their learning journey and going out of their comfort zone to ensure we remain relevant and agile during the road to recovery.”

Cooperating closely with government authorities, customers and suppliers, the company’s dedicated teams have worked around the clock to make a difference by ensuring smooth and safe turnaround of repatriation flights, handling essential cargo, supporting industries facing a labour shortage, launching innovative new products and services as well as donating high-nutrition meals to organisations and individuals in need.

Gary Chapman, President of dnata, said: “The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented disruption to the travel and aviation industries. dnata is not immune. Like our customers and competitors, we are also facing serious challenges and working hard to recalibrate our business and operations for what, right now, is an uncertain future. Despite this extraordinary operating environment, we must stay focussed on delivering the promises we made and continually creating value for our customers and the communities around us.

“Over the past few months, we have adapted our operations and processes to the new normal, enhanced our existing services, and launched new ones to meet changing demand. This has all been achieved thanks to the team of talented colleagues across our businesses, who live and breathe dnata’s promise to deliver quality and safe services for our customers and their customers.”

Although flights have been dramatically reduced globally, dnata’s ground and passenger handling teams have continued to help airline partners deliver on special missions across the globe. From London to Manila and Dubai, the company’s dedicated employees have helped thousands of families reunite by handling more than 2,600 repatriation flights between March-July. With health and safety being dnata’s number one priority, all employees have been thoroughly trained on updated protocols, including the correct use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and the application of social distancing across airport operations.

dnata has also continued to support airlines in maintaining global trade and the flow of essential goods by delivering best-in-class cargo services. dnata’s teams have handled over 67,000 tonnes of PPE, life-saving medical supplies and pharmaceuticals over the past four months. At each of its 46 cargo stations, dnata has been using the latest technology, best practices and certified warehouses to ensure that every pharma and vaccine shipment is handled in compliance with the highest international standards.

In response to the strong air cargo market demand for the rapid, reliable and efficient transportation of essential commodities, several airlines have introduced additional cargo capacity by using passenger aircraft with seats fully or partially removed from the cabin. To adapt to changing customer needs, dnata has enhanced services, improved processes and trained employees to safely and efficiently handle passenger planes carrying cargo only. In Australia, Pakistan and the UK, dnata’s professionally trained staff achieved remarkable milestones by loading record amounts of up to 71 tonnes of cargo onto airline customers’ passenger aircraft.

dnata has also enhanced its aircraft cabin cleaning services to ensure the highest possible level of safety on board its customers’ flights. The new process involves extensive cleaning with a stronger disinfectant, and includes a comprehensive wipedown of all surfaces – from windows, tray tables, seatback screens, armrests, seats, in-seat controls, panels, air vents and overhead lockers in the cabin to lavatories, galleys and crew rest areas. The on-board cleaning chemicals are approved by the relevant authorities and proven to kill viruses and germs. They leave a long-lasting protective coating against new contamination of viruses, bacteria and fungi on surfaces, and are eco-friendly. A dedicated quality team and shift managers oversee the cleaning on the majority of flights.

In addition, dnata has launched innovative new products and services across its global operations to help airlines and passengers navigate the new normal. The company has added thermal screening, baggage disinfection and even home COVID-testing services to its offering at various locations around the world.

Operating over 60 state-of-the-art facilities, dnata has significant capacity to provide safe, quality catering services to industries in need. Since the COVID-19 outbreak began, dnata’s catering team has adapted its catering products and services in line with demand, and increased its capability to serve health and aged-care industries to support relief efforts alongside local authorities. In several countries, dnata delivers meals for quarantine facilities, looking after those who have to compulsorily isolate.

dnata’s skilled workforce has also taken on new roles to support communities. In Singapore and Australia the company has partnered with authorities and companies to temporarily redeploy employees to organisations in industries facing a labour shortage. To date, over 400 dnata employees have been trained and started working in other organisations.

dnata has remained committed to giving back to communities globally. The company teamed up with authorities, organisations and partners to provide ingredients, meals and packaged goods to local communities in need. To date, more than 200,000 wholesome meals have been donated to various organisations in Australia, Ireland, Italy and the UK to enable them to support those who need it the most.

31 March 2019 - dnata, one of the world’s leading air services providers, and China Eastern Airlines have extended their catering partnership in Australia - dnata’s largest catering market. The multi-year extension was agreed at an official signing ceremony in Shanghai.

“We are proud to extend our partnership with China Eastern Airlines,” said Hiranjan Aloysius, CEO of dnata catering Australia. “It is a vote of confidence in our world-class culinary team and testament to the investment we have made in delivering authentic cuisine right across Australia.”

The new agreement will see dnata and China Eastern work together across a range of inflight service initiatives, with a focus on further innovating and enhancing the creative, unique cuisine onboard.

China Eastern Airlines currently serves three cities in Australia, with 43 flights departing Australia each week in peak season.  Based in Shanghai, China Eastern Airlines  is China’s second-largest Airline, carrying 121.1 million passengers in 2018, an annual increase of 9.3 percent. The China Eastern fleet consists of 533 aircraft, with a further 143 on order.

dnata is the largest inflight catering company in Australia, employing more than 3,000 people and serving more than 40 airlines from nine major airports.

dnata has invested significantly in growing its global catering network over the past 18 months, acquiring Qantas Airways’ catering division in Australia, 121 Inflight Catering in the United States and opening a new facility in Dublin, Ireland. It now provides catering services from more than 60 global locations, across 12 countries.  Further significant investment is planned over the next 12 months with the opening of seven new facilities  in the U.S. and continued enhancement of existing facilities and fleet in Australia.

--ENDS

Canberra, 17 January 2019 - dnata, one of the world’s largest air services providers, continues to enhance its global catering operations, today opening a new, state-of-the-art catering facility in the capital of Australia, Canberra.

Representing an investment of AUD$ 6.5 million, the newest dnata facility allows the company to meet the increased demand for its quality services and create capacity for further growth in Australia.

dnata’s new Canberra facility has 2000 m² of floor space, which is over 30% more than the existing location it replaces.  The kitchen is built over two levels to maximise space, and includes six chill rooms, a deep freeze, storeroom, and an area for ‘plating up’ meals.

dnata currently prepares more than 60,000 inflight meals in Canberra every month, serving a wide range of customers from commercial airlines to charter airlines carrying VIPs,  government officials and military. The new facility will allow dnata to further diversify its customer portfolio by expanding its offering into new markets.

Hiranjan Aloysius, CEO of dnata catering Australia, said: “Following the successful completion of our acquisition of Qantas’ catering business, we are thrilled to celebrate another significant milestone in Australia. This facility enhances our ability to delight our customers and their customers, accelerates our growth and expands our market offering.  It also supports our growth in non-airline markets – from retail supply to large scale food supply opportunities.”

dnata entered the Australian inflight catering market with the acquisition of Alpha Flight Group in 2010.  Since then, the company has gradually expanded its operations in the country through further acquisitions and organic growth. In November, dnata completed the acquisition of Qantas Airways’ catering businesses, cementing its place as Australia’s leading inflight caterer.

dnata also operates a premium quality airport lounge at Melbourne Airport through its hospitality brand, marhaba, offering excellent value services for passengers of all airlines and travel classes. 

dnata today offers quality catering services from 15 facilities in Australia, serving 45 airlines at nine airports with a team of over 3,000 customer-oriented employees.

Outside of Australia, over the past 12 months dnata has invested significantly to grow its global catering network - including the opening of a catering facility in Dublin, Ireland and the acquisition of New York-based caterer 121 Inflight Catering.  In 2019 dnata will continue to expand its inflight catering operations by opening a total of seven new catering facilities across the USA and Canada.

As one of the world’s largest air services provider, dnata offers quality ground handling, catering and cargo services at 127 airports in 18 countries. 

-ENDS

In the past 12 months, over 25,000 passengers were hosted in the spacious marhaba lounge, which features comfortable seating for 200 guests, a quiet zone, shower facilities and an international buffet complemented with an extensive a la carte menu. The comfort of visitors is ensured by a diverse team of 20 customer-oriented staff, who speak a total of 10 languages.  Passengers wishing to use the marhaba lounge can make online bookings at marhabaservices.com, on phone (+61 3 83428325, Australia) or simply walk in and pay for access on the spot at a rate of AUD65.  

The marhaba lounge offers an exceptional dining experience to its visitors. Catering to a wide range of dietary and ethnic requirements, the passionate chefs prepared 40,000 world-class meals in the first year of operations. The most popular meals were the Won Ton Noodle Soup (over 2000 bowls), the Japanese Chicken & Vegetable Curry (3000 portions) and the New York Style Cheese Cake (1800 slices). At the dedicated barista bar Hudson’s, 75,000 cups of fresh coffee were prepared to energize visitors. Many guests also took advantage of the lounge’s outstanding wine offer, ordering a total of 27,000 glasses of premium quality wine during their stay.

marhaba was established in Dubai in 1991, and has been helping passengers to seamlessly arrive and depart from airports for over 25 years - from speedy clearance to facilitating transfers, baggage and family travel. Including Melbourne, marhaba operates 12 departure airport lounges in five countries, the UAE, Singapore, Switzerland, Pakistan and Australia. marhaba’s meet and greet services are also available at major airports worldwide.

The marhaba brand is part of dnata, one of the world’s largest air services providers. dnata offers high quality, safe and reliable ground handling, cargo and flight catering services at nine airports in Australia.

Hiranjan Aloysius, CEO of dnata catering Australia, said: “We are delighted to celebrate a successful first year of our marhaba lounge.  Offering an outstanding value, our lounge quickly became popular among both business and leisure travellers and we continue to see a growing demand for our quality services. With our dedicated team and passion for excellence, we look forward to welcoming and delighting Melbourne passengers of all airlines and travel classes in our pleasant lounge.” 

Linc Horton, Melbourne Airport Chief of Property, congratulated marhaba on a successful first year of operation at Melbourne Airport.

“marhaba has done a great job at securing airline partners and attracting travellers to its pay-as-you-go lounge, which was the first of its kind to open in Melbourne,” said Mr Horton.

“There’s nothing quite like relaxing in a lounge before a long-haul flight and the marhaba experience certainly provides a sense of calm and luxury with its breathtaking view of the airfield. We hope marhaba continues to enjoy success now and into the future.”

--ENDS

The agreement is subject to approval from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).

Qantas’ catering businesses include wholly-owned subsidiaries Q Catering Limited and Snap Fresh Pty Limited. Q Catering has centres in four Australian ports – Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth, with its largest airline customer being Qantas.

Snap Fresh is a state-of-the-art meal production plant in Queensland, specialising in Australian-made frozen meals for airlines and customers in the healthcare and food retail industries.

Commenting on the agreement, dnata's Divisional Senior Vice President of catering, Robin Padgett said:

"This agreement reflects our confidence in Australia as a market and the ongoing growth potential into the future.”

“By combining dnata’s network strength and international talent with Qantas’ domestic catering expertise, this will allow us to further grow our presence and deliver catering excellence to more customers across Australia than ever before. This includes investing in more infrastructure, starting with a new catering facility in Sydney.”

“We look forward to the opportunity to welcome the employees from Qantas’ inflight catering businesses to the dnata team.”

Under the agreement, dnata will supply catering for Qantas flights for an initial period of ten years, and Qantas will continue to work with key suppliers in menu design and development.

Qantas Domestic CEO, Andrew David, added:  “The catering businesses will benefit significantly from dnata’s global footprint, catering expertise, and ability to drive investment and growth for what is a core focus of its operation.”

“Customers will continue to enjoy Qantas’ premium service, including unique Rockpool-designed menus for First and Business passengers, showcasing the best of Australian produce for millions of travellers each year."

“Together with dnata, we’ll continue to deliver the inflight food and beverage experience we know our customers value, just as we work with catering companies in offshore ports for our international flights.”

Dubai-headquartered dnata already operates 11 catering facilities in Australia, currently trading under the dnata catering brand (recently rebranded from Alpha Flight Services). dnata employs more than 4000 people in Australia across its catering, cargo and ground handling businesses.

Over the past 12 months dnata has invested significantly in growing its global catering network. Its most recent milestones include the opening of a catering facility in Dublin, Ireland, the opening of its $50m Melbourne catering facility and an agreement to acquire New York-based caterer 121 inflight catering. It is also currently constructing a facility in Vancouver, Canada.

dnata

• dnata, a part of the Emirates Group, provides catering, cargo and ground handling services from 129 airports. Including its travel services businesses, dnata operates in 84 countries.
• Collectively, dnata employs more than 4,000 people in Australia and more than 39,000 globally, across its cargo, catering, ground handling and travel businesses.
• dnata's catering division operates 11 catering facilities in Australia, trading under the dnata catering brand.
• Globally dnata’s catering operation spans 65 locations across 13 countries, providing flight catering and inflight retail services to more than 190 airlines. It also operates more than 40 restaurant, café and lounge premises, and collectively employs more than 9000 people.
• dnata's Australia catering business is headquartered in Broadbeach, Queensland, with a local CEO and senior management team.
• dnata's global revenues in FY 2016/17 were 12.2bn AED (approx. $4.2bn AUD).

Q Catering and Snap Fresh

• Q Catering operates four airport catering facilities in Australia, located in Perth, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney
• Snap Fresh operates an off-airport food development, production and preparation facility, which caters to a wide range of industries
• Q Catering has been servicing flights departing from Australia for more than 70 years
• Q Catering now produce over 34 million meals for customer airlines each year

About dnata

dnata is one of the world’s largest air services providers. Established in 1959, the company ensures the aviation industry operates smoothly and efficiently in 129 airports. Offering ground handling, cargo, travel, and flight catering services in 84 countries across six continents, dnata is a trusted partner for over 400 airline customers around the world. Each day, the company handles over 1,700 flights, carries over 7,700 tonnes of cargo, assists over 235,000 passengers, books over 19,000 hotel stays, and uplifts over 320,000 meals

Daniela Marsilli, CEO dnata Australia said: 

“This is very exciting news for both dnata Australia and Adaptalift GSE. Our long term agreement with Adaptalift enables us to expedite a significant modernisation of our ground service equipment across the country, as well as add innovative technological solutions in the areas of safety for our operators, clients and their aircraft plus protection of the motorised assets themselves. Our operating costs will improve along with increased utilisation and reliability, which ultimately improves service to our valued customer airlines.”

Peter Whiffen, Group Managing Director of the Adaptalift Group, said:

“Adaptalift GSE is delighted to be awarded a total fleet management contract for the dnata GSE fleet across Australia. dnata in conjunction with Adaptalift GSE have set the bench mark for the management of GSE in Australia, by offering real time fleet management reporting, high level of customer service, fully integrated fleet management solutions utilising our best practices and technological innovations integrating both the service and fleet offering. We now look forward to a mutually beneficial long term relationship consolidating Adaptalift GSE as market leaders in the GSE sector.”

dnata is one of the world’s largest air services providers. Established in 1959, the company ensures the aviation industry operates smoothly and efficiently in 129 airports. Offering ground handling, cargo, travel, and flight catering services in 84 countries across six continents, dnata is a trusted partner for over 400 airline customers around the world. Each day, the company handles over 1,700 flights, carries over 7,700 tonnes of cargo, assists over 235,000 passengers, books over 19,000 hotel stays, and uplifts over 320,000 meals. |

dnata’s operations in Australia began in 2007 as a joint venture. Since 2015 dnata in Australia is a fully independent, 100% owned operation and has grown to become the nation’s largest independent ground handling services provider operating at all major airport across the country.

Today dnata Australia employs over 1,800 staff and provides passenger services, ramp handling and cargo handling to more than 24 international airlines.

Alpha’s 11-unit operation in Australia employs over 1,700 people, and leads the market in providing onboard meals and retail services to 39 airline customers.

“The Alpha Flight Group was acquired by us in 2010 and Alpha in Australia is the last location outside the UAE and the UK to be rebranded to dnata,” said Robin Padgett, Divisional Senior Vice President, Catering.

“Bringing our global brands under the dnata name allows us to better leverage the strengths and synergies that come with being a group.

“We can capitalise on the reputation we’ve built up elsewhere, as dnata, to grow in new markets and to better engage our employees, customers and others in the dnata way,” he added.

The project, which will last three to six months, includes uniforms, vehicles, buildings and documentation. Roles, positions and employment contracts are not impacted.

dnata's catering division operates from 63 global locations under the dnata, Alpha Flight Services, En Route, Alpha LSG SkyChefs (JV) and dnata Newrest (JV) brands.

All cargo that passes through dnata’s facilities across Australia which travels to the United States either on a direct flight or via another airport will be subject to the screening requirements. With the investments in technology and training dnata is geared to become a leader in cargo security compliance for its current and prospective customers.

The changes in cargo screening will have an impact on airline carriers and the extended freight forwarding community, and dnata has been working closely with customers, government authorities and other cargo terminal operators to ensure that the processes that are being evaluated are not only the most safe in the industry but also efficient and supported by our customers.

-ends-

Developed from an existing cold store facility, dnata’s new cargo facility is designed to support future growth for both new and existing airlines to meet increasing demand for South Australian exports and imports.  The facility has the ability to provide faster cargo handling, is fully OTS and TSA accredited for security screening, and includes refrigerated and ambient temperature product options.

“Our customers have been calling for an airside facility and we are pleased to be able to meet this need. It has been a significant investment for us and we are committed to growing our business in Adelaide by opening this tailor-made, expansive airside facility,” said Daniela Marsilli, CEO, dnata Australia.

The insulation in the walls of the storage facility is nearly 25cm in width, ensuring the temperature within the general area of the facility remains between 15-25 degrees Celsius, while the freezer rooms are able to hold cargo at as low as minus 18 degrees.

The facility meets Customs, Quarantine and Office of Transport Security regulations, and will see dnata located the closest to the passenger terminal and new freighter apron at Adelaide Airport, enabling quick movement of cargo.

The investment and development of the facility has already seen dnata increase business in Adelaide, currently servicing Qatar Airways, China Southern Airlines and Virgin Australia.  

This new facility will be dnata’s fourth largest facility in Australia and will help to increase the company’s national footprint which currently includes cargo facilities in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Darwin.

- ENDS -

Tuesday, December 29, 2015 — Dubai, UAE., and Sydney: Another milestone in dnata’s continual focus on safety and security has been achieved with the air services provider’s Sydney headquarters and station receiving registration for IATA's Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO) in December. This is the seventh key station in dnata’s ground handling operations to receive this prestigious certification. The other ground operations which are also ISAGO-registered are Dubai, Geneva, Manila, Melbourne, Singapore and Zurich.

ISAGO is an internationally-recognised system for assessing the operational management and control systems of an organisation that provides ground handling services for airlines. It is based on industry-proven quality audit principles and is structured to ensure a standardised audit with consistent results across aviation businesses. The implementation of the ISAGO aims to improve safety as well as manage airline costs by reducing ground accidents and injuries.

dnata began its ISAGO certification journey in 2008. The process to be successfully registered is a rigorous one, requiring compliance with the ISAGO Standards and Recommended Practices at both the corporate and station levels. The standards cover Organization and Management Systems, Load Control, Passenger Handling, Aircraft Handling and Loading, Aircraft Ground Movement and Cargo and Mail Handling. An audit is then conducted by an airline member drawn from the ISAGO Audit Pool and registration is granted if the audit is successful.

“Safety has always been a core value in dnata’s culture. There is nothing more important to us than ensuring the safety and security of our staff. Investing the time and effort in ensuring compliance with ISAGO standards reflect our commitment to continuous improvement in safety standards. It also demonstrates our goal to operate within globally recognised industry best practices and we aim to have all our stations progressively registered with ISAGO,” said Ross Marino, Senior Vice President -International Airport Operations.

For the latest certification, dnata’s Sydney operations underwent three days of audit by ISAGO following months of planning and preparation. “The positive results could only have been achieved with the teamwork of all the operational and support divisions. It shows our commitment to providing a safe and healthy working environment for our people and reaffirms dnata as the ground handler of choice,” said Daniela Marsilli, CEO dnata Australia.

Established in 1959, dnata ensures the aviation industry operates smoothly and efficiently in 103 airports across the Middle East, Europe, Asia Pacific and Africa. Offering ground handling, cargo, travel, and flight catering services, dnata is a trusted partner for over 380 airline customers.

This is the second Chinese airline customer that dnata has won this year, adding to the contract with Xiamen Air announced earlier in the month. dnata is now the major supplier of ground handling services to six Chinese carriers in Australia, including China Eastern, China Southern, Cathay Pacific, Sichuan Airlines, Xiamen Air and Hainan Airlines. Collectively, dnata handles more than 80 weekly flights into Australia for these carriers.

“We are honoured that Hainan Airlines has selected dnata to be their preferred partner for ground handling services in Australia. It reiterates our ability to understand the requirements of Chinese carriers and provide them with the service they expect. The entry of more Chinese carriers demonstrates the growing demand for air travel from the Chinese market to Australia. As China’s outbound travel continues to rise, we look forward to handling higher volumes and more routes for our customers,” said Daniela Marsilli, CEO, dnata Australia.

Hainan Airlines is a SKYTRAX five-star airline and was recently named the "Best Airline in China" by two major U.S. travel publications: Global Traveler and Premier Traveler. Starting 23 December, the airline will operate a twice-weekly service from Xi'an Xianyang International Airport in Xi'an, the capital of China's Shaanxi Province to Sydney. Each service will be offered on an A330 Airbus, which can take up to 222 passengers.

Established in 1959, dnata ensures the aviation industry operates smoothly and efficiently in 103 airports across the Middle East, Europe, Asia Pacific and Africa. Offering ground handling, cargo, travel, and flight catering services, dnata is a trusted partner for over 380 airline customers. Each year in Australia, dnata serves 22 airline customers, handles more than 29,000 flights, 5 million passengers and 220,000 tonnes of cargo. 

Under the three-year agreement, dnata will provide passenger, ramp and cargo services for 260 Xiamen flights a year in and out of Sydney, including the thrice-weekly service from Fuzhou Changle International Airport, and the twice-weekly service from Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport. Each of the services will be offered on Xiamen’s Boeing Dreamliner aircraft, which carries up to 237 passengers.

“We are delighted to partner with XiamenAir as they expand operations to Australia for the first time. We are committed to providing the airline and their customers with the very best in service and look forward to a multi-year partnership,” said Daniela Marsilli, CEO, dnata Australia.

Established in 1959, dnata ensures the aviation industry operates smoothly and efficiently in 103 airports across the Middle East, Europe, Asia Pacific and Africa. Offering ground handling, cargo, travel, and flight catering services, dnata is a trusted partner for over 380 airline customers. Each year in Australia, dnata serves 17 airline customers, handles more than 29,000 flights, 5 million passengers and 220,000 tonnes of cargo. In addition to XiamenAir, dnata is also the major supplier of ground handling to three Chinese carriers in Australia, including China Eastern China Southern and Sichuan Airlines.

It isn’t easy impressing Singapore Airlines, and Alpha Adelaide did just that, scoring exceptionally on every count – from food presentation to customer service. The verdict - Alpha Adelaide demonstrated efficient resolving of issues that are critical to a busy aviation operation, a professional approach that honours commitment, irrespective of circumstances, and is motivated to plate up food of exceptional standards.

On winning the award, the unit manager, Leigh Curnow said, “I’m extremely proud of my team. I believe this award is a reflection of Alpha Australia’s overall promise of high-quality, fresh food, backed by extraordinary customer service.”

A tribute to a local success story

33 years ago, Alpha Flight Group was selling sandwiches to just one customer. Today, it has the distinction of being the country’s largest in-flight catering operation with 30 customers and 1600 employees spread over 10 kitchens. Alpha Australia takes prides in its ability to understand diverse palates – the nation continues to be a melting pot of diverse cultures. It also helps being in a country that boasts the best of produce, which translates to fresh and wholesome ingredients. From the balance of flavours of South East Asia and the delicateness of Far Eastern cuisine to perfectly grilled steaks for the trans-Pacific routes and Halal food for west bounds flight, Alpha Australia pulls it off with aplomb, every day.

Food born out of insight

Alpha Australia’s knowledge of consumer, food and packaging trends, combined with the creative flair of its team of award-winning development chefs, enables Alpha to put insight at the heart of what it does.

We congratulate Alpha Australia and wish them more accolades in the coming year.

Once regulatory approvals are obtained, dnata will have 100% ownership and control of this business, which will be renamed and rebranded accordingly.

This decision reflects dnata’s ambition to grow their presence in the Asia Pacific region. dnata remains committed to delivering exceptional customer service to their customers in Australia.

DUBAI, U.A.E.,16^th April 2013: dnata, one of the world’s leading air services providers has today announced the acquisition of Broadlex Air Services. 

Established in 2006 and employing 450 staff, Broadlex Air Services (BAS) provides aircraft cleaning services including cabin cleaning, laundry services and passenger support services at Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane airports. 

As an experienced provider of aircraft cabin cleaning services, BAS is familiar with the unique requirements of a variety of aircraft types, their individual specifications and working within stringent security requirements in order to ensure their customers’ aircraft are ready for their next flights swiftly and efficiently. 

The deal will see dnata acquire 100% of the cleaning provider’s business. 

“BAS will continue to operate as a separate business, serving a broad range of airline customers under its existing management team” said Stewart Angus, dnata’s Divisional Senior Vice President of Associated Companies. “This important investment demonstrates our continued commitment to grow the Australian aviation market,” he continued.

Current customers of BAS include Jetstar, Virgin Australia, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Malaysian Airlines and Thai International. 

The acquisition of BAS grows dnata’s Australian team to over 3,700 people nationally and complements its existing investments in inflight caterer Alpha, airport services joint venture Toll dnata and contact centre provider Mindpearl.

The awards are based on information received directly from Cathay Pacific’s customers and the Toll dnata team received the 2012 award despite strong competition across Cathay’s global network. 

"Receiving an award is testimony to the dedication and commitment of our team in providing an exceptionally high quality service to our customers,” said Stewart Angus, Divisional Senior Vice President of dnata’s international businesses. “We particularly value this award, as it comes from an airline recognised as one of the world’s most prestigious carriers,” he continued. 

The Toll dnata joint venture currently services more than 20 airline customers, employs more than 1,800 staff across Australia and handles almost 40,000 cargo and passenger flights a year. The team recently recruited more than 170 new employees in order to service its expanding business. 

Further expanding the geographic reach of the business, Toll dnata has recently set up a new operation at Cairns Airport in far north Queensland, increasing the business to a presence at seven airports across Australia. 

Commitment to all customers, whether new or existing, remains a focus for Toll dnata. Investment is being made in new cargo terminals and refurbishments to existing terminals in all locations across Australia. The management team is also devoting time and expertise to the training and development of staff to ensure the business continues to deliver the service customers expect. 

Toll dnata have invested in additional ground support equipment. This includes nine more aircraft loaders which are compatible with the Airbus 320, more than 75 unit loading devices (dollies) and a number of extra ramp tugs. On-going enhancements and refurbishments are also taking place in its cargo operations Australia-wide.

The largest international operator from Australia with over 135 scheduled flights a week, Air New Zealand awarded Toll dnata a brand new contract to provide passenger and ramp services for the next three years.

The joint venture already services more than 20 airline customers, employs more than 1,800 staff across Australia and handles almost 40,000 cargo and passenger flights a year. The team will recruit more than 170 new employees in order to service the new Air New Zealand contract.

Handling of the first Air New Zealand flights commenced today in Perth with start of operations continuing through Toll dnata’s other airports including Brisbane, Adelaide and Melbourne with the last phase commencing 6^th March with the commencement of handling for the carrier in Sydney.

Using a fleet comprising a variety of aircraft types including the Airbus 320 and three Boeing aircraft – the 767, 777 and 747, Air New Zealand operates flights to a wide range of destinations within New Zealand from Australia including Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington, Dunedin and Queenstown. 

In order to service all the points required by Air New Zealand, Toll dnata has set up a brand new operation at Cairns Airport in far north Queensland, expanding the business to seven airports across Australia. This now opens up further new opportunities going forward for potential further expansion in that region. 

Commitment to all customers, whether new or existing, remains a focus for Toll dnata. Investment is being made in new cargo terminals and refurbishments to existing terminals in all locations across Australia. The management team is also devoting time and expertise to the training and development of staff to ensure the business continues to deliver the service customers expect. 

Toll dnata will ramp-up investment in technology and performance management tools including the introduction this year of a new rostering and resource management system. On the operational front, they have also made additional investment in additional Ground Support Equipment (GSE). This includes nine more aircraft loaders which are compatible with the Airbus 320, more than 75 unit loading devices (dollies) and a number of extra ramp tugs.