dnata is reporting strong growth in air cargo volumes in the UAE as regional disruptions shift freight toward air transportation and increase demand for cargo handling.

Nabil Sultan Al Murr, group CEO of dnata, told Gulf News that cargo tonnage and handling volumes have increased significantly, with disruption around the Strait of Hormuz contributing to greater demand for air freight.

Al Murr said he expects cargo demand to remain strong through the remainder of the year.

The increase comes as dnata continues to invest in its cargo handling network. The company recently opened a more than €70 million automated cargo facility in Amsterdam and in August launched a Cargo Integrated Command Centre in Dubai to provide greater operational visibility across its cargo operations at Dubai International Airport and Dubai World Central-Al Maktoum International Airport.

The Dubai cargo operation handled more than one million tonnes of cargo, 189,000 flight movements and 46,000 truck movements during the 2025-26 financial year. The new command center brings operational data from both airports into a centralized environment to help teams coordinate resources and respond to changing cargo flows.

While cargo demand has increased, dnata's airport operations have faced reduced aircraft movements during periods of regional disruption. Al Murr said the company retained its airport operations workforce despite the lower flight volumes, using the period for employee training and preparation for an anticipated recovery in traffic.

dnata's airport operations division employs approximately 41,000 people and operates at 86 airports in 16 countries.

Globally, dnata handled 3.2 million tonnes of cargo during the 2025-26 financial year, a 2% increase from the previous year. The company also handled 888,793 aircraft turns, up 12%.