Air services provider dnata, a part of the Emirates Group, has opened a new $6.5 million catering facility in Canberra.
The company said the new facility would enable it to meet increased demand for its quality services and create capacity for further growth in Australia.
The new facility has 2000m² of floor space, which is over 30 per cent more than the existing location it replaces. The kitchen is built over two levels to maximise space, and includes six chill rooms, a deep freeze, storeroom, and an area for ‘plating up’ meals.
dnata provides catering, cargo and ground handling services from 129 airports. Including its travel services businesses, dnata operates in 84 countries.
dnata entered the Australian inflight catering market with the acquisition of Alpha Flight Group in 2010, and in November last year bought two food businesses, Q Catering and Snap Fresh, from Qantas.
dnata currently prepares more than 60,000 inflight meals in Canberra every month, and the new facility will allow the company to further diversify its customer portfolio by expanding its offering into new markets.
“Following the successful completion of our acquisition of Qantas’ catering business, we are thrilled to celebrate another significant milestone in Australia,” dnata catering Australia CEO Hiranjan Aloysius said.
“This facility enhances our ability to delight our customers and their customers, accelerates our growth and expands our market offering. It also supports our growth in non-airline markets – from retail supply to large scale food supply opportunities.”
