dnata, a leading global air and travel services provider, has inaugurated a new, state-of-the-art cargo centre at London Heathrow airport (LHR).
Part of the company’s ‘dnata City East’ complex, the bespoke facility further increases dnata’s capacity at LHR, ensuring continued smooth handling of a broad range of goods amid rapidly increasing demand for reliable and safe air cargo services in the UK.
The ground services provider’s expansion makes dnata City East comfortably the largest off-site cargo handling operation at the UK’s largest commercial aviation hub.
The new, 10,500 m² facility (‘Phase II’) was designed to operate in conjunction with dnata City East’s existing 22,500 m² facility (‘Phase I’) which opened in September 2019.
dnata will handle all air freight of Virgin Atlantic Cargo and Delta Cargo at dnata City East. Exports will remain at dnata’s Phase I facility while the new Phase II facility will cater for all imports, offering the airlines significantly increased handling capacity.
Located immediately south of LHR, both dnata City East facilities were specifically designed to accommodate the operational requirements of dnata and the two airlines.
They incorporate the latest carbon reduction initiatives in design and operation, including the use of solar PV panels, air-source heat pumps and electric vehicle charging.
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dnata City East has already achieved a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ environmental rating for its design stage, with the same status also expected to be achieved for the construction process.
Including dnata City East, dnata now offers cargo services from eight facilities at LHR with a team of over 750 highly-trained employees, all of which bringing high-end cargo handling infrastructure and services for over 30 international airlines at one of the world’s leading cargo destinations.
In 2021 dnata handled in excess of 500,000 tonnes of cargo in London.
Alex Doisneau, Managing Director of dnata UK (Airport Operations), said: “We are excited to announce the completion of dnata City East, a truly world-class facility. Our newest cargo complex offers bespoke solutions, industry-leading technology and enhanced cargo capacity supporting our customers in achieving sustainable growth at the UK’s busiest airport."
Philip Wardlaw, Managing Director of Virgin Atlantic Cargo, commented: “As we continue to work with our joint venture partner, Delta Cargo, we have further strengthened our performance targets and commitment to our customers.
"That is why we couldn’t be more thrilled to benefit from this incredible facility, which allows us to give outstanding customer experience at one of the largest off-site cargo handling operations at London Heathrow."
Vishal Bhatnagar, Managing Director – Cargo Operations, Delta Cargo, said: “Our U.K. cargo operation, in partnership with Virgin Atlantic, is a critical part of our global network.
"The opening of this dnata facility furthers our ability to provide customers with a one-stop experience to pick-up and deliver shipments for both partners – making it easier to do business with us.”
In recent years dnata has significantly invested in advanced infrastructure, equipment and cutting-edge technologies, cementing its position as a leading air cargo services provider in the UK.
Having added seven facilities, including six new builds, to its infrastructure over the past eight years, dnata now operates 13 cargo centres at six airports in the UK. The company is able to handle more than 800,000 tons of cargo annually across the country.