• dnata strengthens its cargo leadership with major investments in modern facilities, technology, and people, including new projects in Amsterdam and Dubai to boost efficiency and resilience.
• Innovation drives progress through the “One Cargo” digital platform, real-time data systems, and automation tools that enhance visibility, performance, and customer satisfaction.
• Sustainability anchors dnata’s growth with LEED and BREEAM-certified facilities, IATA IEnvA participation, and long-term commitments to greener, future-ready cargo operations worldwide.

For dnata, investments in new and enhanced cargo infrastructure are not just about growth—they’re about commitment to customer promise and industry leadership. At the heart of this drive is a clear ambition: “The vision of dnata is to be the most admired, and the mission is to deliver the promises our customers make,” Guillaume Crozier, Chief Cargo Officer at dnata, explained.

These aspirations are backed by robust investments in infrastructure and people, guided by feedback loops from both customers and market trends. “We see an amazing growth that we want to cater to with service excellence,” Crozier said. That ambition has led to major undertakings, including the UK Air Cargo City and the soon-to-be-commissioned facility in Amsterdam. “Delivering multiple projects, we’ve seen a great deal of learnings that we have used, and each time we have improved, hopefully, the level of efficiency.”

The strategy is holistic, spanning facility modernisation, technological innovation, and staff development. “It takes us to be at the top level, on the facility side, the technology side, and on the people aspect, including training,” he continued.

Resilience and culture

Faced with constant disruption and a rapidly evolving logistics environment, dnata’s approach to future-proofing is grounded in resilience and continuous improvement. Crozier outlined a disciplined strategy loop: “We plan, we do, we check and act, and that’s what we do.”

This cyclical approach goes beyond static planning.

“You never really deliver as planned, but you have that backbone that helps you to be resilient,” Crozier explained, emphasising the need for a sticky and palatable vision across all stakeholders—from field staff to top executives.

Key to this is open communication and listening—both internally and with customers. “We put a lot of focus on communicating with our people, listening actively to our customers, to make sure that all the big projects we deliver are actually making business sense.” A notable milestone exemplifying this is dnata’s recent handling of one million tonnes in Dubai. “This is an amazing effort from everyone,” he said, crediting cross-functional collaboration.

Looking ahead, Crozier highlighted plans for an e-commerce terminal in Dubai within the next 18 months, as well as strategic preparations for Al Maktoum International Airport by 2034. “We connect and share and learn from the network… Hence the right learning and efficiency gain that we are targeting in Amsterdam… will be, of course, injected in the Al Maktoum plan.”

Harnessing technology 

Efficiency at dnata isn’t just about manpower—it’s about smart systems. Technology and automation are cornerstones of dnata’s innovation roadmap, and the results are already evident. “The goal is high pace, visibility and transparency, and high efficiency,” Crozier asserted.

The “One Cargo” platform, launched in 2024, is a prime example of this philosophy in action. “That helped us actually to reach that one million tonne goal.” The platform enables task-driven operations, integrating real-time data at every level—from front-line workers to management decision-making. “It starts with a data recorder, our people on the field… up to the manager who are actually using this data for insight and review.”

Data strategy is not merely operational—it is product-centric. “Let’s say Pharma… you want to have temperature real time. Live animals… you want to have other type of information.” 

Sustainability at the core 

For dnata, environmental responsibility is integrated into every new facility plan. “We are targeting BREEAM certification or LEED certification,” Crozier affirmed. “The Amsterdam Cargo City will be BREEAM certified. The UK has already reached that level. The dnata logistics facility in Dubai is going to be LEED certified.”

This isn’t just about meeting benchmarks—it’s about embedding sustainability into the company’s operational DNA.

“We signed up for the IEnvA Program from IATA. We’ve been the first ground handling agent to be IEnvA certified here in the UAE and then in Europe, in Amsterdam.”

Certifications and frameworks like these serve not only as a benchmark but as motivation for continuous improvement. “It’s a people, process, tool balance that we are targeting, and you need to have the basics right and the processes right,” Crozier states.

Regional growth

Amid global instability and fragmented supply chains, dnata’s robust, flexible operational model has proven to be a competitive advantage. “It’s a combination of capacity effort and capability efforts and cultural shift,” Crozier stated, particularly referencing the lessons of the Covid-19 era and today’s “VUCA” world—volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous.

Technological innovations such as drone-based inventory and airport community systems ensure that dnata’s network remains agile and connected. “The one cargo platform… task-driven… gives clarity and guidance to our people so they are more efficient.” By leveraging interconnected tools like a landside management system, warehouse automation, and cargo community systems, dnata enhances its decision-making at a micro level.

Crozier reflected on this transformation: “One million tonnes is an amazing milestone… but I will add that we have improved our customer satisfaction rates as well. So it’s not only volume, it’s also quality.”

The Middle East advantage 

Dubai’s strategic location continues to serve as a linchpin in dnata’s global strategy. “You can reach two-thirds of the population within eight hours,” Crozier declared. But the advantage isn’t just geographical—it’s infrastructural. “Dubai has a great level of infrastructure. We see the ports, we see the airports… always with that ambition to be the most admired.”

dnata is also expanding across the broader region. “We look at the new facility in Erbil… Pakistan is also a market that is very dynamic… We look at Africa as well.” The company is banking on long-term investments wherever there is sustainable growth. “We will invest for a long and sustainable future wherever it makes a business sense.”