For the 8th consecutive time, dnata has been named ‘Ground Handler of the Year’ at the 2022 Air Cargo News Awards. The awards, which have long been recognised as the preeminent accolades in the air cargo industry, were presented at a gala event in London.

Alex Doisneau, Managing Director of dnata UK (Airport Operations) who accepted the award on behalf of dnata globally, said: “We are proud to receive one of the most coveted industry awards for the 8th consecutive time. This global recognition is a testament to our team’s relentless commitment to consistently deliver quality and safe services. We continue to invest in our people, innovation and sustainability to be an employer of choice, and the world’s most admired air and travel services provider.”

Over the past year, dnata has continued to scale up operations to support its airline customers’ increased flight operations across more than 120 airports around the world.  This included the opening of new, state-of-the-art cargo centres in London, UK and Erbil, Iraq and the expansion of its existing facility in Dallas, USA. In addition, dnata expanded its cargo operations into Cologne, Germany through a strategic acquisition and announced a major, US$200 million investment in a fully automated cargo centre, dnata Cargo City Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

dnata also invested in cutting-edge technologies and digitalisation to further enhance efficiencies across its operations. Key milestones include the rollout of its digital cargo management system, OneCargo, the development of a next-generation e-commerce platform, and the launch of autonomous drones in its warehouses.

dnata has also continued efforts to optimise resources and reduce its environmental footprint across its global network. Most recently, it has installed renewable energy tech, such as solar panels, heat recovery units and electric vehicle charging, at its existing facilities in the UK and Singapore. dnata will also incorporate carbon reduction initiatives in the construction and operation of its new cargo centres in Iraq and The Netherlands.

dnata became the first global air and travel services provider to join the IATA 25by2025 initiative that aims to advance gender diversity in the aviation industry. It also enhanced its corporate social responsibility strategy by creating programmes globally that support the health and wellbeing of its employees and communities.

dnata offers ground handling, cargo, travel, catering and retail services in 37 countries across six continents. In the financial year 2021-22, dnata’s customer-oriented teams handled over 527,000 aircraft turns, moved 3 million tonnes of cargo, uplifted 39.9 million meals, and recorded a total transaction value (TTV) of travel services of US$632 million.