Dubai-based international airport services provider, Dnata, has announced it will acquire two of the UK’s leading ground handling operations, acquisitions which are valued at £15 million (US$24.5million).

It will acquire Plane Handling Ltd., which is currently part of the Go-Ahead Group, providing cargo and ramp handling services at London Heathrow Airport and cargo handling services at Manchester Airport.

At the same time Dnata is also acquiring passenger and ramp handling operations at Terminal 3 & 4 at London Heathrow Airport from Aviance Ltd, which is also part of the Go-Ahead Group plc. The transaction will be completed on 30 January, 2010 and are part of Dnata’s continued strategy of developing its international network.

With these acquisitions, Dnata will now be operating at 19 airports in eight countries, including Australia, China, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, Switzerland as well as the UAE.

Gary Chapman, president, Dnata, said: “We are very pleased to add Heathrow and Manchester to our growing international network. These businesses already provide an outstanding quality of service to their airline customers in the UK and will be a perfect fit with our businesses in Dubai, Singapore, Switzerland, Australia and at other points across the globe.”