Phase Two is a 10,500 square metre facility designed to operate in conjunction with Phase One, a 22,500 square metre facility which opened in September 2019.
The new facility will handle imports and the Phase One will handle exports.
Located south of Heathrow Airport, dnata City East was designed to accommodate the operational requirements of dnata and the two airlines.
The latest carbon reduction initiatives were included in the design including solar PV panels, air-source heat pumps and electric vehicle charging.
At Heathrow, dnata employs 750 cargo staff and works with over 50 airlines serving important global cargo destinations.
Alex Doisneau, Managing Director of dnata UK Airport Operations says: “We are excited to announce the completion of dnata City East, a truly world-class facility. Our newest cargo complex offers bespoke solutions, industry-leading technology and enhanced cargo capacity supporting our customers in achieving sustainable growth at the UK’s busiest airport.”
Philip Wardlaw, Managing Director of Virgin Atlantic Cargo says: “As we continue to work with our joint venture partner, Delta Cargo, we have further strengthened our performance targets and commitment to our customers. That is why we couldn’t be more thrilled to benefit from this incredible facility, which allows us to give outstanding customer experience at one of the largest off-site cargo handling operations at London Heathrow.”
In the UK, dnata operates 13 cargo centres at six airports and has opened seven facilities in the past eight years, of which six were new builds.