Dnata has agreed a deal with Aviapartner to buy its cargo handling operations at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.

The agreement sees the Emirates Group subsidiary takeover full cargo handling operations, and several specialist product lines. These include the Schiphol Animal Centre and Temperature Control Centre, as well as its freighter ramp handling operations.

dnata’s divisional senior vice president of international airport operations, Stewart Angus, says: “Our strategy is to offer the highest level of service excellence in each market we operate. The Aviapartner operation in Amsterdam certainly fits the bill and will enhance our growing international cargo network.”

Aviapartner’s cargo operations at Amsterdam comprises 44,000 square metres of cargo warehouse space. It handles 360,000 tonnes of cargo each year, employing 430 staff. “Amsterdam is a key European cargo hub. We look forward to working with Amsterdam Schiphol Airport to support the continued growth at this important hub,” adds Angus.

dnata has expanded its European cargo service in the past two years and with the acquisition in Amsterdam, it will have more than doubled its footprint from four to ten European stations in the past two years. It will now handle more than two million tonnes of cargo at 26 airports worldwide.

Completion of the acquisition is subject to competition approval in the Netherlands, which is expected by the end of September 2015.

In June, dnata started passenger and ramp handling at Gatwick Airport and provides a full range of airport operations services to airlines flying to the London airport.

In the 2014/15 financial year, dnata made a profit of 906 million dirhams ($247 million). Revenue was 10.3 billion dirhams.