Emma Deane is the new vice president, commercial & business development for dnata, the Dubai-headquartered aviation services provider that forms a key part of the Emirates Group. She spoke to Airside International about her plans for the coming months
Q. CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR NEW ROLE. WHEN DID YOU OFFICIALLY TAKE UP YOUR NEW POSITION?
A. Vincent Dennehy retired on 26 February, at which point I officially assumed responsibility for the role.
Q. WHAT ARE THE BIG ISSUES THAT YOU WILL BE ADDRESSING IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS AND MONTHS?
A. My priority will be to familiarise myself with our many customers across Dubai International and Dubai World Central airports, ascertain their current requirements, and build the foundations of a strong working relationship for the future. Likewise, I will spend time with our marhaba (‘welcome’ in Arabic) operations, which offer meet-and-assist, visa and lounge services in both Dubai airports, as well as in Bahrain.
Q. HAVE YOU ALSO IDENTIFIED A LONGER TERM STRATEGY THAT YOU WILL BE EXECUTING?
A. This will be determined in the coming weeks and months. The business has a clearly defined medium-term strategy and my role will be to support this strategy from a commercial and business development perspective. I am keen to explore so-called non-core or ancillary revenue opportunities and this will certainly be part of our longer term strategy.
Q. HOW DO YOU FEEL THE ROLE OF GROUND HANDLERS IS CHANGING? ARE CARRIERS’ DEMANDS GETTING EVER HIGHER, FOR EXAMPLE?
A. Given the challenges that the last few decades have thrown at airlines, we have seen an increasing trend of outsourcing non-core business to ground service providers. Consequently, we are increasingly asked to provide a full-service package to carriers including not only ground handling but also station management and lounge facilities, to name a few. Certainly carriers’ demands for safe, on-time performance and exceptional customer service remain as high as in the past, but they now range across an increasing scope of services.
Q. HANDLERS FREQUENTLY OBSERVE THAT THEIR MARGINS ARE VERY NARROW; IS THIS A PROBLEM FOR DNATA, AND DO YOU PERCEIVE IT AS AN INDUSTRY-WIDE PROBLEM? IF SO, WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT?
A. Airlines are beginning to recognise that the cost of handling is more than simply a line item on their balance sheets. Any incident can hurt the airline’s reputation – something more costly than the rate they negotiate in their contract. dnata has taken the position that we do not chase contracts. Across our business, we negotiate our contracts to a price level that is sustainable, ensuring we are able to invest in people, equipment and facilities.
Q. FINALLY, CAN YOU JUST SAY A FEW WORDS ABOUT HOW YOU THINK DNATA STANDS OUT AS A GROUND HANDLER? WHAT DOES IT OFFER, AND HOW, THAT OTHER GROUND HANDLERS EITHER CAN’T OR WON’T?
A. There are several ways we stand out: global reach, range of services, experience and innovation. As an organisation, dnata is able to support several aspects of an airline’s business – from selling tickets as a GSA general sales agent) through our travel business, to uplifting meals to their flights with our catering operations – dnata truly is a one-stop-shop for airlines.
Ultimately, our goal is to be the safest ground and cargo handler in the world, and we have embarked on a comprehensive safety programme to achieve this. We’ve committed AED 70 million (US$19 million) to our One Safety programme. One Safety’s goal is to create a culture across the organisation that embeds and reinforces safe habits amongst our workforce. We want safety to be a value at the centre of our organisation, and know this will benefit our operations in several ways, including improved reputation with customers and better employee engagement. It also differentiates us from our competitors.
In addition, we aim to be ahead of industry standards when it comes to safety and security. We work closely with our customers and industry partners to ensure our operations align with new operating models, such as IATA Ground Operations Manual (IGOM) and the IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO). We also continue to explore new technologies to deliver safe, efficient operations for our customers and the industry.
