The Dubai-based air and travel services provider, dnata, begins its European operations by entering the German market through the acquisition of Germany-based Wisskirchen Handling Services (Wisskirchen).
Wisskirchen is the exclusive operator of the Cologne Bonn Cargo Centre, a 12,000 sq m facility at Cologne/Bonn Airport (CGN) providing a full range of cargo services via a team of around 180 employees.
Wisskirchen handles more than 85,000 tonnes of cargo annually, including general cargo, perishables, pharmaceuticals, dangerous goods, electronics, and fast-moving consumer goods.
CGN is the third-largest airport in Germany in terms of cargo operations. In 2021, cargo handled at CGN increased by 14 percent over 2020, reportedly a new annual record for the airport.
Dnata has executed agreements with the owner of Wisskirchen, Oliver Hellwig, to acquire the shares. The parties agreed not to disclose details of the transaction, with approval yet to be obtained from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action in Germany.
Stewart Angus, dnata’s regional CEO for Europe, said: “We are delighted to announce dnata’s first cargo investment in Germany. This is part of our continued broader investment in cargo infrastructure. Since 2014 we have invested in nine new cargo facilities in Europe.”
Dnata currently provides ground handling, cargo, catering, and retail services at over 120 airports in 19 countries. This included the opening of new cargo facilities in Manchester, Karachi, and Lahore, and additional cargo capacity and infrastructure in Brussels, Sydney, and Toronto.
Earlier this year, it confirmed that it had invested over EUR200m in a fully automated cargo centre at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS). The 61,000 sq m dnata Cargo City Amsterdam facility located at Schiphol South-East is scheduled to become operational in 2024. It will be capable of processing over 850,000 tonnes of cargo annually and will be able to handle all types of cargo, including perishables, pharmaceuticals, dangerous goods, mail, live animals, aircraft engines, and vehicles.
To conclude, the deal is subject to government approval.
