Norwegian Cargo has appointed dnata as its new cargo handler in the UK with the cargo handler providing services from 1 May.

dnata will provide Norwegian with a full range of cargo handling capabilities at all UK airports served by Norwegian – Gatwick, Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh.

dnata will also manage Norwegian’s regional handling and trucking requirements throughout the UK as the airline expands its UK air and road network.

Norwegian Cargo’s UK network continues to soar as the airline has introduced five new short-haul routes from Gatwick, Manchester and Edinburgh and two new long-haul routes from Gatwick to Boston and Oakland-San Francisco this year.

The airline recently introduced its first of 31 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners into its long-haul fleet each capable of providing up to 20 tonnes of widebody capacity.

Norwegian Cargo head, Bjørn Erik Barman-Jenssen says: “We believe dnata has the experience and expertise to meet our high standards in service delivery. Norwegian Cargo is continuing to grow as we add more capacity on brand new state-of-the-aircraft flying from the UK to more than 40 destinations.

“With seven new routes taking off from the UK this year it’s ever more important to utilise our growing capacity and ensure Norwegian Cargo’s increasing shipments are handled with speed and care in mind. We look forward to starting a brand new relationship with a trusted partner that will be mutually beneficial for Norwegian Cargo, dnata and our customers.”

dnata senior vice president of business development, Mohammed Akhlaq says: “We are delighted to be partnering with Norwegian Cargo and supporting their fast growing network and services at key UK gateways.

“dnata’s proven service levels and investment in facilities, process innovation, technology and people across the UK network places us in a strong position to serve Norwegian’s needs, and we will work hard to deliver Norwegian Cargo’s customer promise.”

Norwegian recently commenced four weekly direct flights from Gatwick to Boston and will launch new three weekly flights from Gatwick to Oakland-San Francisco from 12 May, with both routes available for freight services.