Dubai: Emirates Airline's sister company, dnata, is expanding its global footprint by opening a Dh33 million state-of-the-art cargo facility and opening up to 100 jobs in Europe.
Based out of the airport in Brussels, Belgium, the new cargo centre includes a 4,500-square-metre warehouse capable of processing 125,000 tonnes of goods every year, including perishables, pharmaceuticals, dangerous items, live animals, aircraft engines and vehicles.
With the new venture, the brand of Emirates Group affiliate, which handles more than 1,900 flights and move over 9,000 tonnes of cargo every day, is now present in 88 airports in 14 countries.
“We are most pleased to welcome dnata at Brussels Airport as our third cardo handler,” said Arnaud Feist, CEO of Brussels Airport Company.
Erik de Goeij, chief executive officer for dnata The Netherlands and Belgium, said, the new facility significantly increases the company’s cargo handling capacity in the region, adding that the local cargo industry will benefit in return.
The company said its latest operations site represents an investment of eight million euros and creates up to 100 local jobs.
The company had earlier reported its most profitable year since it started in the cargo handling business 59 years ago, crossing Dh1.3 billion in profits between 2017 and 2018 and growing its revenues by 7 per cent to Dh13.1 billion.
Its international business now accounts for more than half (68 per cent) of its revenue.
Revenue from the company’s airport operations in the UAE, including ground and cargo handling, went up by four per cent to reach Dh3.2 billion.
