dnata turns Orlando airport into “Station of Tomorrow”

dnata Orlando airport Station of Tomorrow resizeddnata has unveiled the “Station of Tomorrow” at Orlando International Airport, introducing the latest technologies across operations to enhance safety, efficiency and sustainability.

The Orlando station sets new standards for ground handling in the USA with dnata’s $3 million investment including a fully electric GSE fleet along with a range of advanced passenger services, telematics, resource management, virtual training and anti-collision systems.

The project is designed to foster economic growth deliver benefits to local businesses and communities by strengthening the local aviation sector.

dnata’s partners in the project include Lufthansa Group, Oshkosh AeroTech, Evitado Technologies and AVIAR.

David Barker, Regional CEO for Americas at dnata, said: “We are proud to invest in Orlando, the home of dnata’s USA Headquarters, and lead the way in shaping the future of ground handling. This initiative aligns with our commitment to implementing practical, scalable solutions that enhance operational performance, safety, and service quality for our airline partners and their passengers.”

He added that dnata is committed to implementing the model across its 22 locations in the USA.

Jörg Mnich, Vice President Commercial Airport Agreements at Lufthansa Group, said: “Especially having Discover Airlines as launching customer at the “Station of Tomorrow” in MCO experiencing this big step in technology development shows the spirit of the partnership that has been established over the past years. We are keen to see the deployment of the tools and equipment to other joint stations across the network in due time.”

Lars Michael Wendel, Nominated Person Ground Operations at Discover Airlines, added: “With the ‘Station of Tomorrow,’ Discover Airlines can offer our customers a new experience that combines efficient technological processes and environmental aspects. We are particularly excited about the new E-GSE and the anti-collision system, which make the turnaround more environmentally friendly and meet the airlines’ high safety standards.”

In Orlando, dnata will operate a fleet of 14 electric GSE units including cargo loaders, pushbacks, bag tugs and belt loaders.

The passenger journey will be enhanced with check-in and baggage kiosks, baggage drop points and conveyor belt management systems to improve the passenger experience and minimise waiting times.

The ground handling system utilises a single digital platform to streamline operations, managing all aspects of ground handling processes from planning and scheduling to execution and reporting.

Advanced telematics systems will monitor real-time equipment usage and performance, enabling data-driven decision-making to reduce downtime and optimise operational efficiency.

The telematics solution ensures that drivers are fully trained and qualified via a direct link to dnata’s Learning Management System.

Virtual reality training complements classroom lessons, featuring scenario-based simulations in a zero-risk environment to build confidence and ensure safe, high-quality service.

The resource management system will optimise workforce and equipment allocation to keep operations agile and make sure resources are utilised efficiently.

AI-powered tools will enhance monitoring capabilities, ensuring safety, accuracy and operational oversight across baggage and ramp operations.

Collision avoidance systems will be implemented to mitigate risks through actionable data insights, enhancing safety and efficiency in ground towing operations.

dnata to use Damarel FiNDnet Enterprise in the USA

Damarel signs contract with dnata USA resizedDamarel is providing dnata with its latest generation FiNDnet Enterprise solution for ground handlers, which will be rolled out across stations in the USA.

The contract was signed at the 8th Americas GHI Conference, which was held from 25-27 June in Toronto, Canada by David Barker, Regional CEO Airport Operations at dnata and John Boult, Managing Director of Damarel.

The turnaround tool will be encompassed into dnata’s billing and turnaround process, and it will be integrated with AI cameras.

dnata will roll out the tool at Orlando International Airport by September, followed by John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York before implementing it across the rest of its US network by the end of March next year.

Paul Bruton, Consultant at Damarel said it is a brand new technology stack, capturing much more detail for service provisions and a more advanced precision timing schedule for tracking turnarounds and other processes.

James Kelly, Client Account Manager added that the new product can capture photos for risk mitigation so handlers can show how the aircraft was presented to them.

The legacy mobile application was purely online, Kelly added, saying: “You had to be connected in order to use it. The new application has offline functionalities so if you are out of signal for a period of time, you can still capture information, which will synchronise when you get back into range.”

The product can capture generic services, said Bruton, which can cover services in the hangar or cleaning the airline’s offices, along with a new deadload management feature.

“As well as presenting the flight, SLAs and service information to agents on the mobile device, we can present them with a list of all the inbound containers on the aircraft for unloading and see containers being built for departures, when they are on the stand ready for loading and identify if containers are missing,” said Bruton.

Boult added that dnata teams have experience of using the system so they can standardise procedures and processes, saying: “Using the centralised enterprise tool, they can compare and contrast, taking huge amounts of information, plug it into their business intelligence platforms to drill into details so they can bring everyone up to the dnata levels of excellence.”

dnata achieves ISAGO accreditation at JFK

dnata USA ISAGO at New York JFK resized

dnata USA has been awarded IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO) Accreditation at New York’s John F. Kennedy airport.

The ISAGO audit programme covers areas of organisation and management, load control, passenger and baggage handling, aircraft handling and loading and aircraft ground movement.

Benefits to airlines, ground handlers and authorities include safer ground operations, fewer accidents, elimination of redundant audits, reduced costs, a uniform audit process and harmonised standards, among other benefits.

David Barker, Divisional Senior Vice President for Airport Operations at dnata says: “We consistently invest in training, equipment and industry-leading technologies to deliver world-class safety for our staff, partners and their customers. The achievement of the ISAGO accreditation is a remarkable milestone which demonstrates our relentless commitment to safety and service excellence.”