dnata recognized for sustainability efforts at UK aviation awards

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Ryan Abram Chief Operating Officer - Airport Operations | dnata

By Sky Industry News

Sep 24, 2024

dnata, a global provider of air and travel services, has been honored with the Aviation Sustainability & Environment award at the Aviation Industry Awards UK. This accolade recognizes dnata's efforts to enhance environmental efficiency across its operations, including airport operations, travel, and catering & retail sectors.

The Aviation Industry Awards commend individuals and companies that are pioneering excellence in the UK's aviation sector. Stewart Angus, dnata’s Regional CEO for Europe, accepted the award on behalf of the company. He stated: “We are incredibly proud to receive this prestigious award, especially in such an important category. Being selected from a shortlist of leading aviation companies shows the real impact our teams are making through their hard work and dedication in reducing our environmental footprint. We will continue to work closely with our partners to drive a positive change in the aviation industry.”

Recently, dnata reported significant improvements in key environmental performance metrics for the 2023-24 financial year. The company reduced carbon intensity by over 8%, 22%, and 26% across its airport operations, travel, and catering businesses respectively. These figures have been validated by Verifavia, an independent accredited environmental verification body.

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In terms of renewable energy investments, dnata minimizes emissions by using renewable energy sources where available. In markets like the UK and Ireland, it exclusively uses solar and wind energy. Additionally, solar panels have been installed at facilities in Pakistan and the Philippines.

dnata is also transforming its fleet to improve environmental efficiency by phasing out diesel engines in favor of hybrid, electric or hydrogen-powered vehicles where infrastructure allows. Currently, 65% of its fleet is electric in the Netherlands; similar transitions are ongoing in Italy (44%), the UK (40%), and Switzerland (39%).

To further reduce fuel consumption, dnata employs Vehicle Tracking Management systems for monitoring fuel use across its ground support equipment fleet. It conducts logistics mapping exercises to minimize travel distances airside and optimizes shifts to avoid excessive fuel burn.

Engagement with alternative fuel suppliers is another aspect of dnata's sustainability initiatives. For instance, at Schiphol airport over 674,000 liters of diesel were replaced with hydrotreated vegetable oil last year. Furthermore, biodiesel now powers all non-electric fleets at Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Al Maktoum - Dubai World Central (DWC).

Efforts to reduce waste include working with airline customers to optimize food loading for flights based on predictive data analysis—this not only reduces food waste but also lowers fuel consumption due to excess weight reduction.

Additionally, recycling initiatives have been implemented across business units; cargo businesses repurpose plastics into materials for other industries while several catering businesses have eliminated single-use plastics from their operations.