Dnata Lands American Airlines Contract At Zurich

Dec. 22, 2014
Ground service provider will begin ground handling operations for the carrier next February.

Zurich, CH and Dubai, U.A.E., 17 December 2014: dnata, one of the world’s leading air services providers, has won the contract to handle all of American Airlines’ flights at Zurich International airport.

In the long-term contract, dnata will begin ground-handling operations for American Airlines starting 17th February 2015. The contract comes after the merger between American Airlines and US Airways. With the new agreement, dnata will handle more than 500 flights a year for the two airlines. The air services provider will support the airlines with ramp operations, de-icing, arrival services, and its newly launched integrated clean and search service.

“We have worked with US Airways in Zurich since 2007, and winning the American Airlines contract is a strong vote of confidence in our services and safety record,” said Mark Bradley, CEO of dnata’s Switzerland operations. “I’m confident our team in Zurich will continue to provide American Airlines and US Airways the high level of service and quality we are known for.”

“We look forward to welcoming and working closely with dnata as we continue to build on the success of the new American Airlines,” said Andy Kynoch, American Airlines’ Director, Airport Customer Service, Europe / Middle East.

dnata's new clean and search service will make the departure process more efficient for carriers. With it, dnata will undertake a mandatory search as it cleans the aircraft, eliminating the need for separate search prior to departure.

“The dnata team in Zurich have been specially trained to deliver our new clean and search service, ensuring they are delivering the security levels required by international regulations,” added Bradley. “We regularly review the products we offer our airline customers to better service their requirements. We expect clean and search to help make ramp operations easier for customers in Zurich.”

dnata will be responsible for the American Airlines’ year-round, daily flights from New York (JFK) and US Airways seasonal daily flights from Philadelphia. Each year in Zurich, dnata handles 17,500 flights and more than 1,600,000 passengers for customer airlines from around the world.