The MoU establishes the foundation for a broader, long-term collaboration between the companies, as IAG deepens its relationships with select strategic partners to drive innovation, consistency and long-term value.

David Barker, Regional Chief Executive Officer - Americas at dnata, said: “We are proud to be the first partner selected for IAG’s new supplier programme. This recognition reflects our strong operational track record, commitment to innovation, and ability to support our customers’ strategic goals. We look forward to growing our partnership and delivering high-impact solutions that support IAG’s evolving needs across the USA and beyond.” 

Gurm Nijjer, Group Procurement Director - Airports at IAG, said: “Our Preferred Partner Programme is a strategic initiative to generate long-term value for IAG and its customers by aligning with a select group of high-performing suppliers. This approach reflects our commitment to operational excellence, cost-effective delivery and the use of technology to continuously elevate the passenger experience. The partnership spans a number of locations across North America and includes both long-term contract extensions and new business – including the recent award of ground handling services at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) for Group IAG airlines. We look forward to deepening this relationship in support of our shared goals around innovation, efficiency and scalable growth.”

Services under the new contracts will commence in Q4 2025, supporting IAG’s broader objective to optimise ground handling operations, enhance service consistency and deliver long-term value across key North American Airports - with further opportunities for collaboration under the Preferred Partner Programme anticipated beyond this launch.   

About dnata
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 more than 30 countries across six continents. In the financial year 2024-25, dnata’s customer-oriented teams handled over 794,000 aircraft turns, moved 3.1 million tonnes of cargo, uplifted 114 million meals, and recorded a total transaction value (TTV) of travel services of US$ 2.6 billion. For more information, visit dnata.com.

About International Airlines Group International Airlines Group (IAG)
IAG is one of the world’s largest airline groups with 600+ aircraft carrying more than 122 million customers to 260 destinations across 91 countries each year. Its leading airlines in Spain, the UK and Ireland include Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia, LEVEL and Vueling. The Group also consists of two complementary businesses: IAG Cargo and IAG Loyalty. As the first airline group globally to commit to net zero by 2050, sustainability is a core part of IAG’s strategy.

The new partnership will see dnata provide its quality inflight catering services for the Irish flag carrier’s four weekly flights to Dublin Airport (DUB), uplifting nearly 40,000 meals annually.

Peter DeVito, Chief Executive Officer, dnata Catering North America, said: “We’re pleased to support Air Lingus as they expand their transatlantic network. From freshly prepared meals to flawless delivery, our team is focused on getting every detail right. We’re here to make sure their passengers enjoy best-in-class dining experience on every flight.”

Including Aer Lingus, dnata provides catering and retail services to over 40 customers at 12 airports with a team of more than 1,000 hospitality professionals throughout the USA. In the financial year 2024-25, its teams uplifted more than 10 million meals in the country, which represents an over 15% growth year on year.

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

dnata operates kitchens in Boston, New York, Nashville, Houston, Los Angeles and San Francisco, providing inflight catering and retail services to over 100 airports across the country. The US is one of the company’s largest markets for corporate jet services, with demand for VIP flight services continuing to grow. In addition, dnata works closely with a network of best-in-market vendors, managing the catering for customers in cities without its kitchens.

Fuelling sports teams across the USA

dnata caters for significant numbers of professional sports teams travelling the country, creating custom athletic portions for their dedicated charter flights. These meals, such as the popular shrimp cocktail platters, usually include 10-12oz (285-340 grams) of protein to help the teams prepare for or recover from their games. Meanwhile, requests by corporate jet customers on shorter journeys typically include fruit, cheese and seafood platters, as well as finger sandwiches and cookie trays.

Dishes by Royal request

The most popular special requests can vary by a customer’s country of origin. For example, Middle Eastern royal families commonly order dishes including Arabic Mezze, Chicken Biryani, Patchi chocolates and desserts from New York City speciality shops. Indian VVIP clients often request lavish Mughlai and other regional delicacies that reflect the country’s rich culinary heritage, typically sourced from authentic top local Indian restaurants.

Some celebrities have very particular requests, including one very famous R&B duo who will always request a popular plant-based milk product. Other large jets require catering to a similar standard as a Michelin starred restaurant, including caviar, blinis, lobster platters and meals with white and black shaved truffles.

In-flight private chefs

dnata Catering & Retail’s US-based teams include dedicated chefs working exclusively for private and corporate aviation customers, who can also accompany flights on a multi-stop, country-wide tour. Its global network also allows it to fully cater for customers at each point on their trip, with the busiest cities for private aviation including New York, London, Milan, Sydney and Dubai.

Trusted by global governments

Besides sports teams, dnata provides high-end catering to royalty, high-profile musicians, and significant numbers of foreign government jets departing overseas. Notably, its teams catered for up to 70 presidential aircraft departing John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) in New York following the United Nations General Assembly in September 2024.

Peter DeVito, Chief Executive Officer, dnata Catering & Retail USA, said: “We believe that every passenger should enjoy an unforgettable onboard dining experience. We're committed to offering top-tier cuisine to our VIP customers, with each meal crafted to leave a lasting impression. Whether it's a luxurious multi-course meal or a personalised dish tailored to the most refined tastes, our team uses only the freshest ingredients and puts thought and care into every detail. In private aviation, excellence is the required standard, and we’re proud to set that standard." 

Changing creative solutions

dnata’s customer-oriented teams are consistently changing their menus to personalise offerings to each passenger, by meeting flight crews ahead of every journey. Each menu is developed by establishing the requirements for the aircraft’s next trip, including dishes which have received positive feedback, such as a recent favourite, a Montauk-inspired lobster roll.

Food safety a top priority

dnata is one of only a few VIP caterers which has separate Halal kitchens and teams within all its facilities. Its chefs receive tailored training from specialist colleagues, to prepare favourite dishes including Indian and Middle Eastern cuisines. This not only ensures that dnata provides the highest quality, tasty meals, but also by keeping preparation and cooking in-house, all food safety standards can be thoroughly controlled. This includes allergen segregation.

“Allergies and all food safety is our biggest concern,” says Peter. “We have Food Safety Quality Assurance Managers and support staff in every unit. They help to ensure that we are serving our guests food that has been safely prepared.

“We operate strict allergen protocols and take every step that we can to serve safe and delicious food.

“As we cater for many professional sports teams, a common player snack is peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. However, as peanuts are such a serious allergen, we operate peanut-free facilities, and segregate 14 other allergens. Instead, we offer our guests almond butter and jelly sandwiches.”

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

The MCO station sets a new benchmark for dnata’s operations in the United States, establishing a new standard for ground handling in the country. The company’s US$ 3 million investment includes a fully electric ground support equipment (GSE) fleet, along with a range of advanced passenger service, telematics, resource management, virtual training and anti-collision systems. 

The project is expected to foster economic growth and deliver substantial benefits to local businesses and communities by strengthening the local aviation sector through this innovative airport offering. It will also generate 50 new, direct jobs with dnata in Orlando, with further expansion planned.  

dnata’s partners in the milestone project include Lufthansa Group, Oshkosh AeroTech, Evitado Technologies, and AVIAR, each making a substantial contribution to the successful launch of the “Station of Tomorrow.”

David Barker, Regional CEO for Americas, dnata, said: “We are proud to invest in Orlando, the home of dnata’s USA Headquarters, and lead the way in shaping the future of ground handling. This initiative aligns with our commitment to implementing practical, scalable solutions that enhance operational performance, safety, and service quality for our airline partners and their passengers. 

“We are committed to implementing this model across our 22 locations in the United States, elevating industry standards nationwide. We extend our gratitude to our partners, including Lufthansa and Oshkosh AeroTech, for their unwavering support and look forward to achieving further success together.”

Jörg Mnich, Vice President Commercial Airport Agreements, Lufthansa Group, said: “The Lufthansa Group is very excited to expand the partnership in North Amerika with dnata in Orlando. Especially having Discover Airlines as launching customer at the “Station of Tomorrow” in MCO experiencing this big step in technology development (e.g. E-GSE, safety tools and features, innovative ways of training) shows the spirit of the partnership that has been established over the past years. We are keen to see the deployment of the tools and equipment to other joint stations across the network in due time.”

Lars Michael Wendel, Nominated Person Ground Operations, Discover Airlines, said: "With the 'Station of Tomorrow,' Discover Airlines can offer our customers a new experience that combines efficient technological processes and environmental aspects. We are particularly excited about the new E-GSE and the anti-collision system, which make the turnaround more environmentally friendly and meet the airlines' high safety standards. We look forward to taking these steps with dnata as a partner and are proud to be part of these innovations."

Innovation driving operational and service excellence

From the passenger terminal to the airport apron and back office, dnata’s “Station of Tomorrow” integrates the latest technologies to enhance efficiency and service quality.

Key features of the station include:

• Electric ground support equipment (GSE)
  dnata will operate a fully electric fleet of 14 GSEs, including cargo loaders, pushbacks, bag tugs, belt loaders at MCO to deliver consistent high levels of environmental efficiency. This transition aligns with dnata’s global sustainability target of reducing carbon emissions by 50% by 2030.
   
• Digital solutions across the passenger journey
  Passenger-friendly check-in and baggage kiosks, baggage drop points, and conveyor belt management systems will enhance the overall passenger experience and minimise wait times.
   
• High-tech ground handling system
  dnata will utilise a single, digital platform to streamline operations, managing all aspects of the ground handling process from planning and scheduling to execution and reporting.
   
• Advanced telematics systems
  Telematics systems will monitor real-time equipment usage and performance, enabling data-driven decision-making to reduce downtime and optimise operational efficiency. The solution will provide assurance that every driver is fully trained and qualified via a direct link with dnata’s Learning Management System.
   
• Virtual Reality Training
  A virtual training solution will complement classroom learning to improve on-the-job skills. It features scenario-based simulations in a zero-risk environment to help build confidence and ensure safe, high-quality service. 
   
• Resource management system (RMS)
  A resource management system will optimise workforce and equipment allocation, ensuring operations remain agile and resources are utilised efficiently.
   
• Vision AI
  AI-powered tools will enhance monitoring capabilities, ensuring safety, accuracy, and operational oversight across baggage and ramp operations.
   
• Collision avoidance system
  dnata will also implement an innovative collision avoidance system at MCO. This system will enable the company to mitigate risks through actionable data insights, enhancing both safety and efficiency in ground towing operations. 

dnata: a leading air services provider in the United States

dnata provides ground handling and cargo services at 22 airports in the United States. The company’s dedicated team of over 3,500 aviation professionals ensures the seamless operations of 48,000 flights and handles 200,000 tons of cargo and mail annually across the country. 

dnata will provide its full range of safe and reliable passenger, ramp and baggage services to the Jordanian flag carrier, which operates a daily service between JFK Terminal Eight and Queen Alia International Airport (AMM) in Amman. dnata’s dedicated team will contribute to a quality travel experience for 125,000 passengers on Royal Jordanian’s 360 annual flights.

The contract expands the existing partnership between the two parties in the USA, with dnata already providing its full range of ground handling services to the airline in Detroit (DTW) since 2019.

David Barker, dnata’s Regional CEO, Airport Operations – Americas, said: “We are proud to expand our excellent relationship with Royal Jordanian Airlines into New York. Our experienced team look forward to contributing to the airline’s success by providing our best-in-class services.”

Operating also at terminals One and Four, dnata currently serves over 30 airlines at JFK International Airport with a team of 1,100 dedicated aviation professionals, who handle over 21,000 flights annually.

Including Royal Jordanian Airlines, dnata provides a range of ground handling, logistics and cargo services to more than 70 airline customers throughout the USA with 3,300 customer-oriented employees. In the financial year 2023-24, dnata turned around over 60,000 flights in the USA, handling over 18 million passengers and 200,000 tonnes of cargo.

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 2023-24, dnata’s customer-oriented teams handled over 778,000 aircraft turns, moved over 2.9 million tonnes of cargo, uplifted 123 million meals, and recorded a total transaction value (TTV) of travel services of US$ 2.4 billion.

The agreement will see dnata provide quality inflight catering services to the UK’s flag carrier on its services to London Heathrow Airport (LHR). dnata’s highly trained teams will produce and uplift 150,000 meals annually to ensure an excellent dining experience on board the airline’s twice daily flights.

The new contract expands the two parties’ long-standing partnership which now covers four cities, including Boston, Houston, Nashville and Newark, in the USA.

Peter DeVito, Chief Executive Officer, dnata Catering North America, said: “We are delighted to expand our great partnership with British Airways throughout the USA. Our expert team will consistently produce exceptional culinary offerings that will contribute to the passenger’s travel experience. We will continue to invest in our team, infrastructure and product improvement to remain at the forefront of industry excellence.”

Including British Airways, dnata provides catering and retail services to 40 airline customers at 12 airports with a team of more than 1,000 hospitality professionals throughout the USA. In the financial year 2023-24, dnata Catering & Retail teams uplifted more than 9.8 million meals in the country, which represents an over 9% growth year over year.

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

dnata will provide its safe and reliable ramp services to the Brazilian carrier, which operates a twice-daily service between Aeroporto Internacional de Recife-Guararapes (REC) and Orlando. dnata’s dedicated team will contribute to a quality travel experience for 175,000 passengers on Azul Airline’s over 600 annual flights.

Including Azul Airlines, dnata now provides ground handling services to three airlines in Orlando with a team of 150 aviation professionals, who ensure the safe and timely operations of over 12,000 flights a year. 

David Barker, dnata’s Regional CEO, Airport Operations – Americas, said: “We welcome Azul Airlines, one of our largest customers in South America, to Orlando. We look forward to continuing our long-standing, excellent partnership. Our recent win of Azul Airline’s PEXX award for Best Punctuality underlines our commitment and ability to provide the highest level of quality and safety to the airline and its customers.”

dnata has been a trusted partner of Azul Airlines since 2016. The two companies’ successful partnership currently covers 22 airports across Brazil and the USA. 

dnata provides a range of ground handling, logistics and cargo services to more than 70 airline customers throughout the USA with 3,300 customer-oriented employees. In the financial year 2023-24, dnata turned around over 60,000 flights, handling over 18 million passengers and 200,000 tonnes of cargo in the country.

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.

dnata’s highly trained teams will produce and uplift more than 200,000 meals annually to ensure a world-class dining experience on board the Italian flag carrier’s daily flights from both airports to Rome.

Peter DeVito, Chief Executive Officer, dnata Catering North America, said: “We are proud to have been selected as the exclusive catering supplier to ITA Airways in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Our experienced team will contribute to the excellent on-board experience by consistently delivering outstanding meals that passengers love.

“We look forward to a long and prosperous partnership with the ITA Airways team.”

Including ITA Airways, dnata provides catering and retail services to over 40 airline customers at 12 airports with a team of more than 1,000 hospitality professionals throughout the USA. In Los Angeles and San Francisco, dnata uplifted over three million meals for over 11,000 individual flights in the last financial year 2023-24.

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

dnata’s expansion into RDU represents an investment of US$ 2 million and will create over 25 new, local jobs with the company.  The inaugural customer is Lufthansa, Germany’s flag carrier, which operates a five-weekly service between the North Carolina airport and Frankfurt with an Airbus A330-300 aircraft. 

David Barker, dnata’s Regional CEO, Airport Operations – Americas, said: “We are excited to add Raleigh-Durham to our growing network in the USA. This expansion underscores our commitment to consistently invest in our operations and services in a strategic, rapidly developing market.  

“We are proud to have been selected by Lufthansa as their ground handling partner at another airport. We look forward to working with the airline’s local team to contribute to their success with our best-in-class services.”

Including Lufthansa Airlines, dnata provides a range of ground handling, logistics and cargo services to more than 70 airline customers throughout the USA with 3,300 customer-oriented employees. In the financial year 2023-24, dnata turned around over 60,000 flights in the USA, handling over 18 million passengers and 200,000 tonnes of cargo.

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 2023-24, dnata’s customer-oriented teams handled over 778,000 aircraft turns, moved 2.9 million tonnes of cargo, uplifted 123 million meals, and recorded a total transaction value (TTV) of travel services of US$ 2.4 billion.

dnata’s highly trained teams will produce and uplift more than 125,000 meals annually to ensure a world-class dining experience on board the airline’s four weekly flights to Abu Dhabi, starting 31 March 2024.

Peter DeVito, Chief Executive Officer, dnata Catering North America, said: “We are delighted to have been appointed as the exclusive catering supplier to Etihad Airways in Boston. Our experienced team will consistently deliver outstanding culinary products that contribute to the passenger’s exceptional journey.

“We look forward to working closely with Etihad and will continue to invest in our people, infrastructure and products to be the best in everything we do.”

Including Etihad Airways, dnata provides catering and retail services to 40 airline customers at 12 airports with a team of more than 1000 hospitality professionals throughout the USA. In Boston, dnata uplifted 1.5 million meals for 8000 individual flights at Boston Logan Airport in the last financial year 2022-23.

dnata’s catering and retail division is one of the world’s leading inflight hospitality providers. The company’s 10,500 catering professionals produce over 110 million meals annually, 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.

David Barker, dnata’s Divisonal Senior Vice President for Airport Operations, said: “We are proud to be recognised for meeting the highest global safety standards at JFK, one of the largest dnata hubs in our international network. 

“We consistently invest in training, equipment and industry-leading technologies to deliver world-class safety for our staff, partners and their customers. The achievement of the ISAGO accreditation is a remarkable milestone which demonstrates our relentless commitment to safety and service excellence. 

“I thank my colleagues for their hard work and outstanding efforts that enable dnata to provide the highest level of quality and safety, every day.”

dnata provides a range of ground, passenger, and cargo handling services to over 60 airlines at 22 airports in the USA. dnata USA‘s customer-oriented team consists of over 3,000 aviation professionals, who assist over 18 million passengers, ensure the smooth operations of 60,000 flights, and handle 500,000 tons of cargo annually.

ISAGO is an audit program for ground-handling companies serving airlines at airports covering the areas of organization and management, load control, passenger and baggage handling, aircraft handling and loading and aircraft ground movement. It offers benefits to airlines, ground handlers, regulatory as well as airport authorities. These include safer ground operations, fewer accidents and injuries, elimination of redundant audits, reduced costs, less damage and fewer audits, a uniform audit process and harmonized standards, improved safety oversight, harmonized auditor training and qualifications, improved quality standards, and enhanced understanding of high-risk areas within ground operations.

Gather AI’s innovative software enables the drones to map the environment, collect inventory data, count cases, measure temperature, and read barcodes using only their cameras, without the need for any additional active infrastructure. The drones are paired to a tablet device providing live inventory data. The collected data can be viewed directly on the tablet or the web, via a user-friendly application.

The drones can operate at temperatures as low as -10 Celsius degrees, enabling dnata to take advantage of the technology in its state-of-the-art cool chain facilities, too. dnata plans to gradually roll out the drones across its global cargo network in the next years.

Watch this video to find out how autonomous drones help us digitise processes and monitor shipments. 

Guillaume Crozier, dnata’s Divisional Vice President for Operations and Product Development, said: “We are excited to introduce leading-edge drone technology in our operations to take cargo handling to the next level.

“Our partner’s autonomous drones and inventory management platform provides greater transparency across our entire operations. This new technology, combined with our strong cargo product expertise, enables us to significantly enhance efficiency and mitigate the risk of revenue leakage throughout the customer journey. 
“We continue to adopt the latest technologies to deliver world-class value for our partners at every stage of the cargo handling process.”

Sankalp Arora, Gather AI’s Co-Founder and Chief Robotics Engineer, said: “Our drones gather label reads, inventory counts, temperature and volumetric data using AI, providing traceability across operations while providing exceptions against the facility inventory software. This transparency coupled with near-real-time visibility brings the power of analytics to physical spaces, minimizing revenue leakage while helping develop trust across operations.
"However, it is dnata’s dedication to bringing this transparency to their customers, combined with their insights in the air cargo industry that has been critical in applying our technology to the air cargo sector with a compelling ROI.”

Over the past year, dnata has significantly invested in new technology and digitalisation. The company’s investments include hi-tech cool dollies in Australia and Singapore, UV cabin cleaning service in Switzerland, a baggage disinfection station in Singapore, a just-in-time freight handling platform in UAE, thermal screening in the USA, as well as the network-wide rollout of a turnaround tool and IATA’s innovative Dangerous Goods AutoCheck (DG Autocheck) solution.

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.

David has been with dnata for over six years, currently leading the company’s extensive airport operations in the USA as Chief Executive Officer. In his new role David will oversee dnata’s global ground handling and cargo business at 91 airports in 14 countries, managing a team of over 23,000 customer-oriented aviation professionals.

David will be based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and report to Steve Allen, dnata’s Executive Vice President. He will take on his new role on 1 August, replacing Stewart Angus who decided to leave dnata for family reasons, after 16 successful years.

Steve Allen said: “I’m delighted to welcome David to dnata’s global management team. Over the past years, David has made outstanding achievements as our regional leader, playing a key role in the expansion of dnata’s operations and customer base in the United States. His passion for service excellence will ensure the highest level of quality and safety across our global airport operations.

“I’d also like to take the opportunity to thank Stewart for his hard work and significant contribution to dnata’s development over the past 16 years. We wish him all the best in his future endeavours.”

David joined dnata in 2015 with over two decades of experience in the aviation industry. In his current role as dnata USA’s CEO, he has more than doubled the size of the company’s business in the country, won many new customers, and successfully integrated a highly motivated team into the global dnata community. Previously, he held C-suite roles at JetSource and various general manager and regional operational roles with ASIG. He also led the global mergers and acquisitions for BBA Aviation Flight Support.

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.

During the green turnaround, dnata’s skilled team transported baggage with electric baggage tractors to the aircraft and applied electric conveyor belts to offload and load baggage and cargo. dnata’s professionally trained staff pushed the aircraft back from the gate with a Mototok electric, remote controlled towbarless pushback tractor, positioning it ready for taxi and departure.

dnata is the first ground handler to have successfully completed a green aircraft turnaround in the United States.

David Barker, CEO of dnata USA, said: “We are thrilled to achieve this memorable milestone by using only green equipment to deliver a smooth airport experience for passengers, and ensure safe and timely departure of our customer’s flight.

“We constantly invest in infrastructure and equipment to improve operational efficiency and reduce our carbon footprint. We are committed to converting our USA fleet to electric GSE to preserve our environment for future generations. We continue to enhance our operations to deliver the highest possible value for our partners by being an employer of choice and socially responsible in our communities.”

Steve Rowland, Executive Director, Terminal One Group Association (TOGA), said: “TOGA is excited to partner with dnata USA and lead the green initiative at JFK Airport. We will work closely with dnata to reduce our carbon footprint by replacing our existing fleet with environmentally friendly solutions over the next years. This initiative clearly demonstrates our commitment to the environment, we are proud to be the first at New York JFK.”

Juan Carlos Zuazua, CEO of Viva Aerobus, said: “We are delighted to be part of an innovation that puts environmental protection at its core. Undoubtedly, dnata is a world pioneer committed to our planet, and our work with them is a further step as the "greenest" Mexican carrier, since we are the airline with the lowest CO2 emissions per passenger in Mexico and the first one to separate waste for recycling during flights. We are firmly convinced that sustainability should be at the centre of the air sector operations.”

dnata provides a range of ground, passenger, and cargo handling services to more than 60 airlines at 27 airports in the United States. dnata USA‘s customer-oriented team consists of over 3,700 aviation professionals, who assisted over 30 million passengers, ensured the smooth operations of 100,000 flights, and handled 800,000 tons of cargo in 2019.

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.

“We are delighted to be awarded IATA’s ISAGO Registration in the United States,” said David Barker, Chief Executive Officer of dnata USA. “We are dedicated to delivering world-class safety performance, and consistently invest in training, processes and technology to ensure the highest standards across our operations. We are focussed on developing a culture where our team members possess the skills and knowledge and are empowered to work safely. The achievement of this prestigious industry certification is a testament to our commitment to the highest levels of safety and training.“

“It has been a privilege to be part of this evolution and to see the capability of the team realized,” said Gino Matteoni, Senior Vice President of Safety and Training of dnata USA. “Safety is a team sport which requires fervent participation and engagement. This milestone is a reflection of our continuous pursuit of perfection.”

dnata provides a range of ground, passenger, and cargo handling services to more than 60 airlines at 27 airports in the United States. dnata USA‘s customer-oriented team consists of over 3,000 aviation professionals, who assisted over 30 million passengers, ensured the smooth operations of 80,000 flights, and handled 800,000 tons of cargo in 2019.

ISAGO is an audit program for ground-handling companies serving airlines at airports covering the areas of organization and management, load control, passenger and baggage handling, aircraft handling and loading and aircraft ground movement. It offers benefits to airlines, ground handlers, regulatory as well as airport authorities. These include safer ground operations, fewer accidents and injuries, elimination of redundant audits, reduced costs, less damage and fewer audits, a uniform audit process and harmonized standards, improved safety oversight, harmonized auditor training and qualifications, improved quality standards, and enhanced understanding of high-risk areas within ground operations.

Starting from November, dnata delivers quality and reliable ground-, and passenger handling, aircraft cleaning and de-icing services for four airlines of the airline group, including Lufthansa, Swiss International Air Lines, Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines, which will operate up to a total of six flights a day from Dulles Airport. dnata now serves 14 airlines with a team of over 300 customer-oriented staff at IAD, managing 5,200 aircraft movements annually.

David Barker, Chief Executive Officer of dnata USA, said: “We are delighted to expand our long-standing partnership with Lufthansa Group at Washington Dulles. The airlines of Lufthansa Group all share our passion for safety, quality and service excellence, and we are proud to be their ground handler of choice at nine airports in the United States. We keep investing in our team, infrastructure and equipment to cement our leading position and continually provide the best possible services to all of our over 60 airline customers in the world’s largest aviation market.”

Holger Bremes, Director Commercial Airport Infrastructure, Lufthansa Group, said: “Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines are excited to grow the North American relationship with dnata at Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD). With our very positive service experience from destinations like BOS, LAX, SFO and JFK we are looking forward to providing first class service to our customers with our handling partner at Washington Dulles.”

dnata commenced ground handling and cargo operations in the United States in 2016. Since then, the company has invested more than US$ 50 million in facilities, equipment, training and technology, while continually expanding its operations in the country. Offering highly competitive benefit packages in the market, in the past two years dnata has expanded its team with 1,000 additional professionals and now employs over 3,800 dedicated staff in the USA.

The excellent quality of dnata’s services is underpinned by the constant growth of its customer base. Having won over 50 new contracts in the past 18 months, dnata now serves over 60 airlines at 27 airports in the United States.

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.

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dnata’s new facility in Boston complements the company’s existing operations in New York on the East Coast of the United States. At full capacity the facility will operate with a team of 150 catering professionals, supplying up to 12,500 meals a day. dnata already serves three airlines from Massachusetts’ capital.

As its first catering centre on the West Coast of the country, dnata’s new facility in Los Angeles creates up to 100 jobs with the company and has a capacity of 10,000 meals a day. dnata’s launch customer in Los Angeles is Qantas.

Besides Boston and Los Angeles, the company operates catering facilities at the airports of Houston (IAH), New York (JFK), Nashville (BNA) and Orlando (SFB), serving commercial, VIP and private aviation companies in the United States. In October dnata will further enhance its operations in the country, opening an additional catering facility at San Francisco International Airport (SFO). By year-end, dnata will provide quality catering services at seven U.S. airports.

Over the past years dnata has significantly invested in growing its global catering network and now operates from 62 locations in 11 countries. The company will also shortly establish catering operations in Vancouver, Canada. As one of the world’s leading inflight caterers, dnata serves more than 110 airline customers across the globe, producing over 110 million meals annually.

Austin, 7 May 2019 – dnata, one of the world’s largest air services providers, and Lufthansa Group continue to expand their partnership in the United States. dnata has been selected to provide ramp, secure clean and passenger handling services to Lufthansa at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and now serves the airline group, including Swiss International Air Lines, Austrian Airlines and Edelweiss Air, at eight airports in the country.

In Austin, dnata will handle Lufthansa’s new Frankfurt flight, which the airline operates five times a week, using its Airbus A330-300 aircraft. The ground handler’s professionally trained staff will ensure a safe and seamless travel experience for up to 70,000 passengers a year from check-in to boarding, and from disembarkation to baggage collection.

Including the German carrier, dnata now provides quality and reliable air services to three airlines in the state capital of Texas with a team of 75 customer-oriented aviation professionals. 

David Barker, Chief Executive Officer of dnata USA, said: “We are proud to be the ground handler of choice for a leading global airline group in the world’s largest aviation market. Our newest contract with Lufthansa is a testament to our successful partnership and the consistent high quality our teams deliver across the U.S. We stay committed to providing best-in-class services to our airline customers and their passengers, every day.”

Holger Bremes, Director Commercial Airport Infrastructure, Lufthansa Group, said:  “As a premium airline, Lufthansa Airlines is excited to grow the North American relationship with the start of service in Austin with dnata. With our very positive service experience from destinations like Boston (BOS), Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO) and New York (JFK) we are looking forward to providing first class service to our customers with our handling partner at Austin Airport.”

dnata commenced ground handling and cargo operations in the United States in 2016. Since then, the company has invested more than US$45 million in facilities, equipment, training and technology, while continually expanding its operations in the country. Offering highly competitive benefit packages in the market, in the past two years dnata has hired 1,000 additional employees growing its team to over 3,500 customer-oriented aviation professionals.

The excellent quality of dnata’s services is underpinned by the constant growth of its customer base. Having won 26 new contracts in the past 12 months, dnata now serves over 60 airlines at 28 airports in the United States.

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.

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• dnata commences catering operations at Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport, the 4^th U.S. airport in its catering network
• The Houston expansion is expected to create over 150 direct jobs with the company over the next 18 months
• dnata will open four additional catering facilities in the U.S. in 2019 growing its local team to over 700 dedicated catering professionals

Houston, 24 April 2019 - dnata, one of the world’s largest air services providers, continues to invest in its catering operations in the United States.  The company has opened a new, 4,700 m² (51,000 ft²) facility at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and now offers quality catering services in Houston with a capacity of more than 10,000 meals a day. 

dnata’s latest expansion will create more than 150 new jobs with the company. The launch customer is British Airways, which operates two daily flights from Houston.

Robin Padgett, Divisional Senior Vice President for dnata’s catering division, said: “We are delighted to open another best-in-class catering facility at a major U.S. airport. Our expansion into Houston once again underlines our commitment to the United States, where we see excellent business opportunities for dnata.”

“In 2019 we will continue to enhance our operations in the country by investing in new facilities and growing our team with highly-skilled, local catering professionals. We look forward to providing quality services and products to an increasing number of airlines in the U.S. ensuring an exceptional dining experience for their passengers on each flight.”

dnata expanded in the U.S. catering market in 2018 through the acquisition of 121 Inflight Catering. Besides Houston, dnata currently operates catering facilities at three U.S. airports, in New York (JFK), Nashville (BNA) and Orlando (SFB), serving commercial, VIP and private aviation companies, fixed base operators and charter aircraft operators.

In 2019, dnata will further enhance its operations in the country opening four additional catering facilities at the airports of Boston (BOS), Los Angeles (LAX), Newark (EWR) and San Francisco (SFO).  By year-end, dnata will provide quality catering services at eight U.S. airports.

Over the past two years dnata has invested significantly in growing its global catering network. The company acquired Qantas Airways’ catering division and opened new catering facilities in Canberra and Melbourne in Australia, and Dublin in Ireland. This year dnata will further increase its global footprint by establishing operations in Vancouver, Canada.

As one of the world’s leading inflight caterers, dnata’s catering team now operates from 63 locations in 11 countries, producing over 320,000 world-class meals every day.

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Dallas, 14 March 2019 - dnata, one of the world’s largest air services providers, has been certified by IATA’s Center of Excellence for Independent Validators in Pharmaceutical Logistics (CEIV Pharma) for its pharma handling processes at its new, state-of-the-art cargo facility in Dallas. The prestigious accreditation demonstrates dnata’s capability to move pharma products under the strictest standards.

dnata opened its 37,000 square feet cargo centre at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) in November 2017. The centre includes a 14,000 square feet perishable handling facility, which is dedicated to innovative cool-chain solutions with experienced staff to ensure that perishables such as pharmaceuticals, fruits, vegetables, fresh fish and seafood, meat and flowers maintain their freshness during the entire air transportation process.  In the past 12 months dnata handled over 500 tons of perishable cargo in Dallas.

The CEIV Pharma program was created by IATA to provide a globally consistent and recognized pharmaceutical product handling certification that focuses on airfreight and temporary storage. The stringent standards set by CEIV Pharma and the rigorous assessments conducted either meet or exceed many of the current worldwide regulations. In achieving the certification, dnata has proven its capability of handling pharmaceutical products safely and reliably.

dnata constantly invests into cutting-edge pharma handling technologies globally, which is underlined by the CEIV Pharma certification of its Amsterdam, Dubai, Singapore and Toronto facilities, as well the GDP certification of its Amsterdam, London, Manchester, Singapore, and Zurich facilities.

David Barker, Chief Executive Officer of dnata USA, said: “We are proud to be awarded IATA’s prestigious CEIV certification at our new Dallas facility. This achievement demonstrates our commitment to meeting the highest industry standards and further strengthens our position as a global leader in perishable cargo handling.  We continue to invest in infrastructure and technology to deliver safe, quality and innovative services for our customers.”

dnata commenced ground handling and cargo operations in the United States in 2016. Since then, the company has invested more than US$45 million in facilities, equipment, training and technology, while continually expanding its operations in the country. Offering highly competitive benefit packages in the market, in the past two years dnata has hired 1,000 additional employees growing its team to over 3,500 customer-oriented aviation professionals.

The excellent quality of dnata’s services is underpinned by the constant growth of its customer base. Having won 48 new contracts in the past 12 months, dnata now serves over 60 airlines at 28 airports in the United States.

A global air services provider and the trusted partner of over 300 airline customers, dnata offers ground handling, cargo and catering services at 129 airports in 19 countries.

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About CEIV Pharma

The Center of Excellence for Independent Validators in Pharmaceutical Logistics (CEIV Pharma) was created by IATA (International Air Transport Association), to provide for a globally consistent and recognized pharmaceutical product handling certification that focuses on airfreight and temporary storage. By establishing a common baseline from existing regulations and standards, this certification ensures international and national compliance to safeguard product integrity while addressing specific air cargo needs. To date, over 200 assessments have been conducted, over 160 companies have been certified at different locations around the globe, with more than 70 on-going certifications.

Dubai/New York, 11 December 2018 - dnata, one of the world’s largest air services providers, today announced that it had completed the acquisition of New York-headquartered inflight and VIP caterer, 121 Inflight Catering. The acquisition allows dnata to significantly expand its operations in the United States, further strengthening its global network of catering businesses.

Founded in 2007, 121 Inflight Catering offers premium catering services to commercial airlines and private jets from its facilities at New York JFK and Nashville International Airport.  Employing a dedicated team of more than 350 highly-skilled culinary professionals, 121 Inflight Catering serves 21 international airlines and hundreds of private aviation customers.

Over the past year dnata has invested significantly in growing its global catering network. The company’s most recent milestones include the opening of a new catering facility in Dublin, Ireland, and the acquisition of Qantas Airways’ catering division in Australia. dnata is also in the final stages of completing its new Vancouver facility - its first catering facility in Canada – which will formally open in 2019.

As one of the world’s leading inflight caterers, dnata’s catering team now operates from 62 locations in 11 countries, producing over 320,000 world-class meals every day.

“We are excited to expand our operations in the United States, the world’s largest aviation market,” said Robin Padgett, Divisional Senior Vice President for dnata’s catering division. “The 121 team has the right combination of extensive experience and deep market knowledge which will support our ambitious growth plans in North America, while maintaining the customer-first approach we’re known for.  Equally, the team’s impressive dedication to culinary excellence will ensure that we continue to deliver best-in-class products to our customers.”

“We are delighted to be joining forces with dnata, a global player in the catering industry,” said Joe Savino, Managing Partner at 121 Inflight Catering. “Leveraging the strengths and synergies provided by our partnership, we look forward to offering an even more outstanding value proposition in the market. We are sure our stakeholders will benefit from this cooperation.”

Besides the flight catering facilities at New York-JFK and Nashville International Airport, the acquisition also includes two separate restaurants. 121’s flight catering operations will be rebranded to dnata and continue to operate under the guidance of the existing 121 management team.
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To establish operations in Los Angeles, dnata has invested $8 million in infrastructure and resources, creating more than 350 local jobs. Serving six airlines, including Austrian Airlines, Iberia, Japan Airlines, Lufthansa, Swiss International Air Lines and Qantas, dnata will initially handle 4,600 flights a year.

David Barker, Chief Executive Officer of dnata USA, said: “We are thrilled to be launching operations at one of the world’s leading international airports. Adding Los Angeles International Airport to our growing network underlines our strong commitment to the US market, where we have significantly expanded our operations through massive investments in our facilities and resources in the past two years. We see an opportunity to create a step change in service excellence for our customer airlines at this important gateway.”

Joerg Mnich, Vice President Commercial Airport Infrastructure, Lufthansa Group, said:  “As a premium airline the Lufthansa Group Airline is excited to grow the North American relationship with dnata into another major hub like Los Angeles.  With our very positive service experience from destinations like Boston, New York-JFK, San Diego and Tampa we are looking forward to providing first class service to our customers with our handling partner at Los Angeles International Airport.”

dnata commenced ground handling and cargo operations in the United States by the acquisition of industry players in 2016. Since then, the company has invested more than $35 million in facilities, equipment, training and technology, while constantly expanding its operations in the country.  

Offering highly competitive benefit packages in the market, in the past two years dnata has hired 1,000 additional employees growing its team to over 3,750 customer-oriented aviation professionals.

Today’s announcement marks another dnata milestone at the end of an outstanding year. In 2018 dnata has opened a cool-chain perishable cargo facility at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, established operations at Nashville International Airport, diversified its service portfolio by launching passenger handling services at New York JFK Airport, and most recently commenced services at Concourse G at San Francisco International Airport.

The excellent quality of dnata’s services is underpinned by the constant growth of its customer base.  Having won over 45 new contracts in the past 12 months, dnata now serves over 60 airlines in the United States.

Including Los Angeles International Airport, dnata’s global ground handling and cargo network now consists of 87 airports in 13 countries. 

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New York, USA – 15 August, 2018 – dnata, one of the world’s largest air services providers, has launched passenger handling operations at New York-JFK Airport.  Already providing ground handling to over 50 airlines in the United States, this is a natural portfolio extension for dnata in New York.

The launch customer is Copa Airlines, the flag carrier of Panama, which operates four daily flights with an annual capacity of 364,000 passengers between New York and Panama City using the Boeing 737 aircraft.

Copa Airlines’ choice underlines the demand for dnata’s reliable and quality services and dedicated team.  Having been awarded with over 40 new contracts in the United States in the past 12 months, dnata continues to win new business with its attention to meeting customers’ requirements, and its commitment to maintaining the integrity of airline schedules.

Including Copa Airlines, dnata’s global ground handling operations now serve over 270 airlines at 75 airports in 13 countries.

David Barker, Chief Executive Officer of dnata USA, said:  “Commencing passenger handling operations at New York-JFK is an important milestone for dnata in the USA. Expanding our passenger services portfolio is part of our overall strategy to offer a full range of quality ground handling services in all of our 27 airports in the country. With our dedicated team and passion for service excellence, we continue to deliver the promises our customers make, while ensuring the highest level of safety across our operations.”

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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 130 airports. Offering ground handling, cargo, travel, and flight catering services in 85 countries across six continents, dnata is a trusted partner for over 300 airline customers around the world. Each day, the company handles over 1,800 flights, carries over 8,400 tonnes of cargo, assists over 240,000 passengers, books over 21,000 hotel stays, and uplifts over 320,000 meals.

Developed as a part of its agreement with AirLogistix USA which it acquired last year, dnata has opened the facility in cooperation with the DFW Airport Board.  With state-of-the-art infrastructure, 18,000 sq. ft. of the facility is dedicated to innovative cool-chain solutions with experienced staff to ensure that perishables such as pharmaceuticals, fruits, vegetables, fresh fish and seafood, meat and flowers maintain their freshness during the entire air transportation process. Having recieved the IATA's CEIV accreditation, Japan Airlines was the first launch customer to experience the state-of-the-art facility from 1 November 2017,

Cool-chain services ensure perishables are delivered to customers in good condition despite challenging temperatures; cargo such as fresh flowers from Bogota or fish from Chile headed to various US destinations.

“As a leader in the global air cargo industry, we are constantly looking to innovate and offer the highest level of service”, said David Barker, CEO - dnata USA. “We realised that it was not only important for us to build a modern cool-chain facility to meet our long term objectives, but to also go the extra mile and ensure the compliance of our operations against the highest international standards. There is a clear need to increase capacity and ensure our customers have the flexibility that meets their specific needs via our cool-chain solutions.”

“We are excited dnata Cargo USA’s cold chain facility is open and operating at DFW and offers cooling and pre-cooling, perishables warehousing, temperature-controlled fumigation services, and more, to our cargo and logistics customers,” said John Ackerman, Executive Vice President Global Strategy and Development at DFW. “Shippers in many trade lanes between Latin America and Asia with perishables like salmon, berries, and asparagus, can save as much as two days by using DFW over other airports. DFW’s strength lies in its airline network of passenger service with daily belly cargo capacity between Latin America and Asia combined with our excellent freighter services to Asia by nine Asian air freighter operators.”

dnata has continued to significantly expand its global cargo offering, including the opening of 18 new cargo facilities in the past five years. With the investments in Houston and Dallas Fort Worth, dnata now handles over 2.8 million tonnes of cargo at 43 airports worldwide. dnata USA employs over 4,200 employees and operates in 18 Airports and 13 Postal facilities.

“This new license for dnata is the result of our consistent track record for delivering the highest quality to our customers. Our commitment to safety, meticulous on-time departure and service excellence, globally, in the USA, and in particular at the terminals we already operate in within JFK, were all contributing factors to receiving this permit,” said David Barker, CEO dnata USA. “We now have the opportunity to offer our award-winning ground handling services to all customers already operating at Terminal 4 and to further strengthen existing global relationships with our customers in this location”, he added.

“Terminal 4 is continuously enhancing its operations in order to improve passenger satisfaction,” said Gert-Jan de Graaff, President and CEO of JFKIAT, LLC. “With more than 21 million passengers each year, we are confident that this new partnership with dnata will further excellent services for our airline customers and a superior passenger experience for our travelers. " 

With 4,200 employees in 28 locations in the USA, the agreement will widen dnata’s scope of operations in New York. Currently, the company operates at JFK’s terminals 1, 7 and 8, as well as UPS and United States Postal operations. 

In 2016, over 16,000 tonnes of perishable cargo were handled from this warehouse. In addition to this, the facility also has capacity to handle up to 20,000 tonnes of regular air cargo.

As part of this transaction, AirLogistix USA and dnata have committed to open a similar facility at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) in summer 2017.  This second facility will be 37,000 sq ft, again including a dedicated perishables handling facility.

“Our strategy is to offer the highest level of service in each market we operate”, said Stewart Angus, dnata’s Divisional Senior Vice President of International Airport Operations. “The AirLogistix USA operation fits the bill and will further enhance our growing international cargo network. This represents dnata’s first step into the US cargo market. We look forward to working with the Houston and Dallas Fort Worth Airports to support continued growth at these important airports,” he added.

“Having started the company from the concept of service excellence, I am delighted that AirLogistix USA will now be part of the dnata team” said Ray Brimble, AirLogistix USA founder and owner. “I am passing AirLogistix USA into good hands.  dnata’s commitment to service and safety at the highest standards and its continued investment in its product is in line with our philosophy, and ensures our customers will continue to receive the quality service they expect."

dnata has continued to significantly expand its global cargo offering, including the opening of 18 new cargo facilities in the past five years. With the investments in Houston and Dallas Fort Worth, dnata now handles over 2.8 million tonnes of cargo at 42 airports worldwide.

The experienced management team, including President Kerry Galegher, will remain in place. Employee terms and conditions will also remain unchanged.

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The move is designed to provide easier single drop-off and collection points for customers of both airlines and will deliver longerterm benefits such as faster truck turnaround times at London Heathrow and enhanced services for premium products. 

For Virgin Atlantic, the new contract with dnata is a further extension of one of the longest-running cargo handling agreements in the UK, which first began in the late 1980s. The airline is dnata’s largest cargo customer in the UK, moving more than 200,000 tonnes of cargo per annum, and it has handling contracts with dnata in Dubai and Australia. In 2015, Virgin also awarded the majority of its UK domestic UK trucking business to dnata. 

John Lloyd, Senior Vice President Cargo, Virgin Atlantic, said: “Our working relationship with dnata in London has such longevity because they not only consistently meet our stringent service level agreement but they also work with us to find other ways to deliver service improvements and efficiencies to our customers. Our ‘door waiting’ times at Heathrow, for example, are already among the best at the airport but with the new technology being developed, dnata is confident they can be reduced even further. That’s the attitude we want our partners to take to share our passion for customer service.” 

Commenting on the new agreement Gareth Joyce, President - Delta Cargo, added: “Co-locating our cargo operations at Heathrow and across the UK under ‘one roof’ in partnership with dnata will help realise greater synergies, while delivering a more seamless and efficient service to our customers. With an extensive network between the UK and North America, plus hundreds of same-day, wide-body connections via Delta’s hubs, we offer a competitive and comprehensive range of cargo services that will continue to evolve thanks to our partnership with dnata.” 

Delta Cargo will join Virgin Atlantic in their dedicated 200,000 square foot Cargo Point facility, adjacent to London Heathrow’s World Cargocentre. In support of the new contracts, dnata is making a multi-million pound phased investment which will include advanced control point technologies to further improve handling times for customers’ trucks when delivering and collecting cargo. The new system, which uses geo-fencing and advance information on drivers and their vehicles, will make customer interaction with Virgin and Delta’s Heathrow cargo operations faster and more seamless. The new technology is currently being trialled by dnata ahead of its planned roll-out in Q1 2017. dnata will also work proactively with both airlines to support the continued growth of their existing products for perishable, temperature-controlled, pharmaceutical and high value cargoes. 

Gary Morgan, Chief Executive Officer of dnata said: “We are thrilled to have renewed our contract with Virgin Atlantic Cargo and we appreciate being recognised for the high quality of service we have provided to Virgin Atlantic Cargo and their customers. It is especially gratifying to extend the partnership to Delta Air Lines and to welcome them into the dnata family. Our commitment and investment into the UK market has been unprecedented, and the benefit of working alongside like-minded carriers brings an opportunity to further invest in people, the latest equipment, high specification facilities and cutting edge technologies.” 

Since the start of their joint venture in 2014, Virgin Atlantic Cargo and Delta Cargo have also co-located cargo handling at eight gateways in North America: Atlanta, Boston, Las Vegas, Miami, New York (JFK and EWR), Orlando and Washington Dulles