Global air and travel services provider dnata continues investment in people, green operations and innovation. dnata is one of the world’s largest air and travel services providers. A trusted partner of over 300 airline customers, it operates at over 120 airports across six continents. Over the past 12 months, the company has significantly expanded its ground handling operations and team, while consistently enhancing its offering through investment in advanced infrastructure and technologies.
Expanding team to meet growing demand
In line with the significant growth in its operations, the financial year 2022-23 saw a sharp rise of 17 percent in dnata’s employee numbers which reached a total strength of 46,000 globally by the end of the year (31 March).
“Our people are at the heart of our operations. We are committed to investing in our team, with highly competitive compensation packages and opportunities for personal and professional learning, development and growth. We recognise and reward loyalty and those who go the extra mile,” says Charles Galloway, dnata’s regional CEO for Asia Pacific.
dnata is dedicated to the continued recovery of the aviation sector and is well-placed to meet the rapidly increasing demand for its services across Asia-Pacific. “We continue to plan and recruit for future volume recovery and are currently fully resourced to meet existing demands, delivering safe and secure services for our customers across the region,” adds Galloway.
The health and wellbeing of employees continue to be dnata’s top priority. Its programmes are designed to support its people’s physical, mental, emotional and social wellbeing, and promote a culture of health. In addition to providing employees with regular information and tips across multiple internal communications channels, in Singapore the company organised a unique wellness week engaging more than 1,400 team members across the organisation.
Investing in the latest technologies
dnata also consistently invests in the latest technologies to further improve efficiency, productivity and deliver the highest possible value for its customers. “We continue to drive digitalisation efforts across our cargo operations in both Australia and Singapore. This allows for improved oversight on a local and global level. It also supports enhanced customer engagement and service excellence, elevating data sharing with all our stakeholders in the air cargo ecosystem and provides enhanced transparency across the cargo handling processes,” adds Galloway.
In 2022, dnata started rolling out its ‘OneCargo’ system globally. OneCargo automates key business and operational functions, including safety and quality monitoring, reporting and ULD management, with an integrated, cloud-based platform. AI-driven tools and analytics provide enhanced visibility on sales and business performance, allowing customers to match real-time demand with available capacity for maximum profitability. In addition, OneCargo eliminates all redundancies and manual check sheets, substantially improving operational efficiency. dnata plans to gradually implement the advanced system across its operations worldwide.
Investing in green operations
In 2022, dnata committed US$100 million to implement green technology and initiatives across its businesses to achieve its strategic objective and reduce its carbon footprint globally by 50 percent by 2030.
“We remain committed to reducing our carbon footprint to ensure the highest possible level of environmental efficiency across our operations. We consistently invest in infrastructure, equipment and process improvement to optimise our operations” said Galloway.
Over the past year, dnata has installed solar power systems at its operating facilities in Singapore, the UK, Pakistan, and its SnapFresh facility in Australia. These generate approximately 5,500 MWh of renewable electricity annually, saving over 2 million kilogrammes of carbon dioxide emissions. It also purchases renewable energy from local grids in the UK and Ireland for catering, and a part of its travel and airport operations. dnata also continues to invest in the electrification of its ground handling fleet, which now stands at 15% globally, and the use of biofuels where feasible to reduce emissions.
In December 2022, dnata signed up for the IATA Environmental Assessment (IEnvA) programme, based on globally recognised environmental and sustainability standards, as well as industry best practices. It is a commitment to continually improve environmental sustainability within the aviation field and is focused specifically on dnata’s core operations. These include cargo handling facilities, catering, freight forwarders, and ramp handlers. dnata is working towards full certification before the end of 2023.
dnata also joined the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), a voluntary global initiative that promotes responsible business practices, and the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals. dnata has committed to implementing the Ten Principles of the UNGC in the areas of human rights, labour, environment, and anti-corruption. dnata will benefit from access to the UNGC’s extensive tools and resources to engage with its employees across the globe and improve their learning and training in Sustainability.
Giving back to the communities
dnata is committed to enriching the communities it serves and investing in initiatives that help propel the industry’s future. It engages and mobilises its employees through its corporate social responsibility programme, dnata4good, to make a positive difference.
Over the past 12 months, dnata made a solid impact with its global initiatives. dnata4good’s Cleans the World campaign helped restore and regenerate habitats in the communities it serves, it supported Al Jalila Children’s Hospital in the UAE and it marked Breast Cancer Awareness Month with a high-visibility pushback tractor painted in eye-catching pink.
“We care about our people and the planet through our dnata4good employee-driven initiative which recognises the importance of being socially accountable and making an impact beyond our business goals,” concluded Galloway.
