For the 7th consecutive time, dnata has been named ‘Ground Handler of the Year’ at the 2021 Air Cargo News Awards. The award, which has long been recognised as the preeminent accolade in the air cargo industry, was presented at a gala event in London.

David Barker, dnata’s Divisional Senior Vice President for Airport Operations, said: “We are proud to be recognised for our quality and safe services for the 7^th consecutive year. The pandemic has presented unprecedented challenges for us and our partners but our teams’ hard work, resilience and commitment to service excellence paid off and resulted in outstanding achievements across our global network.

 “I thank each of my colleagues for their dedication and extraordinary efforts. We continue to take an agile approach to be the best in everything we do.”

Over the past year, dnata has continued to adapt business and operations to the rapidly changing environment. The company implemented new operating procedures and introduced innovative products and services in response to new customer expectations and business opportunities, while keeping a laser focus on quality and safety.

dnata continued to make strategic investments in its operations to further enhance its service offering. This included the opening of new, state-of-the-art cargo facilities in Manchester (UK) and Lahore (Pakistan), and additional cargo capacity and infrastructure in Sydney (Australia), Brussels (Belgium) and Toronto (Canada). In addition, dnata broke ground on the second phase of the dnata City East project at London Heathrow (UK).

dnata also invested in innovative products, new technology and digitalisation, including hi-tech cool dollies in Australia and Singapore, UV cabin cleaning service in Switzerland, a baggage disinfection station in Singapore, 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.

dnata also inked strategic partnerships to expand its reach. In Italy dnata’s subsidiary, Airport Handling SpA, partnered with Beta Trans to provide a full range of cargo services to customers at Milan Malpensa Airport. dnata also entered the Indonesian aviation market through a partnership with PT UNEX Rajawali Indonesia (UNEX) where both companies will make joint investments in facilities, equipment and training.

dnata’s quality of service and high safety standards helped it win or retain over 100 contracts with key accounts across its network. dnata also achieved prestigious industry certifications, including CEIV certification in Singapore, ISAGO registration in Canada, USA and Iraq and GDP certification in Pakistan, which demonstrate its ability to deliver world-class services across its global operations.

As one of the world’s leading air services providers, dnata provides quality and reliable ground handling and cargo services at 90 airports in 14 countries.