dnata cuts CO2 emissions in UAE

Group brands dnata Logistics, Arabian Adventures, Alpha Flight Services and City Sightseeing have switched their UAE vehicles to run on a biofuel blend.

The strategic move saves 80 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per year, equivalent to over 320,000km driven by an average petrol-powered car.

dnata’s latest initiative is part of its efforts to reduce its carbon footprint and waste to landfill by 20% by 2024 in line with its two-year green operations strategy. In June 2022, dnata announced that it would invest US$100m in green operations in two years to further enhance its environmental efficiency globally.

Steve Allen, CEO of dnata Group, said: “We constantly explore and implement emission reduction methods across our fleet and infrastructure to reduce our carbon footprint. The introduction of biofuel to a diverse range of our UAE businesses is an important step in our ongoing journey. It offers a simple and effective method of cutting emissions throughout the fuel lifecycle, without requiring any changes to equipment.

“We will continue to invest in our operations, including large-scale infrastructure solutions, to further enhance our sustainability performance and achieve our green operations targets.”

Cutting fossil fuel dependence

dnata Logistics has switched 31 of its trucks to run on a biofuel blend at its Dubai-based hub. Providing multimodal freight forwarding, logistics, supply chain and road transport services, its trucks cover up to a total 217,000km per month. The move saves almost 35 tonnes of CO2 emissions a year, the equivalent of eight petrol-powered cars driven for one whole year.

Alpha Flight Services (Alpha), dnata’s inflight catering joint venture, has already switched five landside vehicles to biofuel blend, and is also in the process of transitioning all of its Sharjah-based airside catering trucks. Alpha now sends its used cooking oil to the biofuel manufacturer and once recycled, it is then re-used within its vehicles. Research shows that one litre of oil recycled into biofuel avoids the emissions of 3kg of CO2, a reduction of 92% compared to diesel fuel use. Alpha’s vehicles cover over 27,000km per month. As a result of the initiative, Alpha will save seven tonnes of CO2 emissions per year.

Arabian Adventures, dnata's tour and safaris operator, has also switched the generators at its desert safari camps to a biofuel mix. City Sightseeing Dubai, a joint venture with dnata Travel Group, operates three tour routes with 21 open-top, biofueled buses. These cover an average 76,000km per month, removing over 32 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year

Besides its recent investment in landside operations, dnata has significantly invested in the electrification of its ground handling fleet, with more than 15% of the company’s global fleet now electrified. The group already operates biodiesel, electric and hybrid vehicles as well as actively exploring the use of hydrogen-powered equipment in its operations.

Image: dnata Group