Dubai: Dnata, an Emirates Group subsidiary, “recently kicked-off” talks with Angolan authorities to launch airport ground handling and catering services in the African country, said President Gary Chapman in an interview on Tuesday.

The talks are part of ten-year management contract of Angola’s national airline signed by Emirates airline with the Angolan government in September.

“We are looking to see how we can work with the authorities there on ground handling and catering so that would be ramp, passenger, [and] cargo [services], and potentially in-flight catering,” Chapman said.

The discussions between Angolan authorities and dnata are still “early days,” according to Chapman, who said the African country is “an opportunity.”

“We will give it our best shot,” he said.

TAAG Angola Airlines, the national airline, operates a hub in Luanda, the capital, and flies to around eleven other cities in the country, representing a sizeable expansion opportunity for dnata.

Dnata currently offers services at airports in 16 different countries across the world stretching from Australia to the United Kingdom but has a presence in just one African country, South Africa, where it offers catering services at two airports.

Earlier this year, Chapman said dnata had Dh2.4 billion in cash at its disposal for a series of acquisitions. The company has so far spent very little of the Dh2.4 billion, Chapman said, which now could be used for an expansion of its airport operations.

Beyond Angola, dnata is in talks to set up operations at other airports in Africa.

“There is a few more in Africa but I can’t go into the details,” Chapman said.

Africa’s poor infrastructure and excessive bureaucracy has historically deterred many would-be private and government investors.

“The processes are actually quite complex and timelines inevitably slip and change,” Chapman said.

“To try and put timelines on those [discussions] is pretty near impossible,” he added.

In October, dnata announced it had started offering ground handling services at Manchester International. On Monday, the company added Cathay Pacific as its newest customers at the airport.

“The reason we went into Manchester was because the service levels were an issue for the airlines so Emirates asked us if we would establish an operation there,” Chapman said.

A price-war has broken out in the British market with ground handling lowering costs to maintain contracts, Chapman said, and something dnata is unwilling to get involved in.

“If we couldn’t make a reasonable return then there is no point doing business,” he said.

dnata also recently started offering support equipment to JetStar’s operations in Singapore after a new entrant to the airport, Aircraft Service International Group (Asig), was unable to meet the Qantas-owned airlines ground handling demands.

“We will [provide equipment] as long as it’s required. Basically, until the incumbent gets the equipment they need,” Chapman said.

Dnata has also downsized its operations at Arbil International Airport in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq after a number of airlines, including Emirates, suspended flights over security threats as Da’esh took control of parts of Northern and Western Iraq this year. Emirates have since relaunched flights.

“Clearly, Arbil has been quite a challenge … but we remain there,” Chapman said.