dnata's global cargo volumes rose to 3.2 million tonnes in the 2025-26 financial year, a 2% increase year-over-year, as the Dubai-based ground handler reported that Middle East disruptions are shifting freight toward air transportation and lifting demand at its UAE hubs.

Group CEO Nabil Sultan Al Murr attributed the increase in part to disruption around the Strait of Hormuz, which has forced shippers to move cargo by air and pushed tonnage through dnata's handling facilities. The company also reported 888,793 aircraft turns globally, up 12% from the prior period, even as regional tensions compressed schedules on some routes.

"Cargo tonnage and handling volumes have increased significantly," Al Murr told Gulf News. "We expect cargo demand to remain strong through the remainder of the year."

What's driving the UAE cargo surge?

The surge is concentrated at dnata's Dubai operation, which handled more than one million tonnes of cargo, 189,000 flight movements and 46,000 truck movements during the 2025-26 financial year. Bottlenecks at the Strait of Hormuz have rerouted time-sensitive freight from sea to air.

dnata has positioned its UAE handling capacity to absorb the additional tonnage. Dubai is one of the world's principal air-cargo gateways, so any modal shift in regional logistics flows shows up first in its throughput numbers.

How is dnata investing in capacity?

The handler has opened a €70 million automated cargo facility in Amsterdam and in August launched a Cargo Integrated Command Centre in Dubai. The command centre consolidates operational data from Dubai International Airport and Dubai World Central-Al Maktoum International Airport into a single environment.

It allows teams to coordinate resources, rebalance truck and ramp capacity, and respond to shifting cargo flows in real time. The Amsterdam terminal adds automated handling capacity in Europe, where dnata already serves a wide airline customer base.

What about airport operations?

The cargo tailwind has not extended uniformly across dnata's business. The airport operations division saw reduced aircraft movements during periods of regional disruption, though Al Murr said the company retained its approximately 41,000 airport operations staff.

The handler redeployed workers to training during the quieter periods in preparation for an anticipated traffic rebound. Keeping headcount intact during downturns is a deliberate cost choice: rehiring and recertifying ground staff is expensive, and dnata appears to be treating the lull as an investment in readiness.

Where does the network sit now?

The airport operations division runs from 86 airports in 16 countries, meaning dnata's exposure to regional disruption extends well beyond its two UAE hubs. The 12% increase in aircraft turns globally shows the wider network continues to expand, even as specific routes face schedule compression.

Cargo gains, in other words, are carrying dnata through a period when its passenger-handling business is under pressure.

What to watch next?

• Whether Strait of Hormuz disruption persists or eases, and the corresponding modal split between sea and air
• Utilisation rates at the new Amsterdam automated terminal as it ramps up
• First full-quarter data from the Dubai Cargo Integrated Command Centre
• Airline schedule restoration across dnata's 86-airport network

With the new command centre still in its early months and the Amsterdam terminal scaling toward steady-state operations, the test for dnata will be whether the air-freight tailwind persists long enough to convert the recent capital outlays into full utilisation.