DUBAI: Emirates Group’s airport services subsidiary dnata has opened a new £30 million ($41.05 million) cargo complex at Manchester Airport in the north of the UK.
The dnata City North complex can handle 150,000 tons of cargo per year, including pharmaceuticals, perishables, dangerous goods, aircraft engines and vehicles.
Alex Doisneau, managing director of dnata UK, said: “We are thrilled to announce the opening of another world-class cargo facility in a strategic location in the UK. Our new, purpose-built facility in Manchester complements our existing multiple UK operations including the dnata City complex at London Heathrow, enabling customers to enhance their operations in the region.
“Our continued investment and expansion in the UK underlines our commitment to our customers and the local cargo industry at a critical time, providing operational excellence at key gateways across the country.”
Dubai’s 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.
The company was hit hard by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, as trade and travel slowed. In its latest half year results announced in November, the company reported that revenue for the previous six months was down 67 percent to AED2.4 billion ($653 million), leading to a loss of AED1.5 billion, compared to a profit of AED311 million during the same period the year before.
