dnata pushes on at London Heathrow

Air service provider dnata has announced a further step in the progress of its dnata City project, a purpose-built cargo logistics centre at the heart of London Heathrow Airport.

The group has officially unveiled a dedicated website for the project including detailed video animations of the complex and a ‘live link’ to the site.

The innovative website features an array of information about dnata City and its enhanced freight facilities, which includes a 20 acre cargo complex centred around five airfreight warehouses, a transportation facility and a yard for airside operations enclosed in a security-fenced area.

'As a global player in the air cargo business, dnata is committed to making a strong contribution to improving Heathrow Airport’s air cargo infrastructure,' said Gary Morgan, CEO of dnata’s UK operations. 'We were concerned about the lack of new air cargo facilities and felt the need to step forward to create and deliver industry-leading air cargo services which will shape the future of our industry at Heathrow.'

Two of the dnata City buildings currently handle 21 wide-body flights daily for Virgin Atlantic, with a 60,000ft² nearby at Bedfont Road dedicated to Cathay Pacific’s passenger and freighter cargo operations.

The dnata City complex will also encompass the handler’s existing 60,000ft² self-contained transport yard, where it has a fleet of 85 modern trucks equipped with GPS tracking equipment providing 24/7 coverage with 4,000 truck movements currently servicing 656 flights every week.

Three additional facilities at dnata City will provide 206,000ft² of new cargo space. The new, state-of-the-art buildings will consist of a 78,000ft² cargo warehouse with 15,000ft² of office space; a 54,000ft² facility with 11,000ft² of offices and a 40,000ft² building with 8,000ft² of office space.

According to the company, the new facilities will also feature fully automated cargo handling systems as well as chiller rooms, valuable handling facilities and are specially designed to handle peak freighter cargo alongside general cargo flows.