dnata, a global air and travel services provider, has unveiled the “Station of Tomorrow” at Orlando International Airport (MCO).
The initiative introduces the latest technologies across its operations, significantly enhancing efficiency, safety, and environmental performance while elevating the passenger experience throughout the airport journey.
The MCO station sets a new benchmark for dnata’s operations in the United States, establishing a new standard for ground handling in the country.
The company’s US$ 3 million investment includes a fully electric ground support equipment (GSE) fleet, along with a range of advanced passenger service, telematics, resource management, virtual training and anti-collision systems.
The project is expected to foster economic growth and deliver substantial benefits to local businesses and communities by strengthening the local aviation sector through this innovative airport offering. It will also generate 50 new, direct jobs with dnata in Orlando, with further expansion planned.
dnata’s partners in the milestone project include Lufthansa Group, Oshkosh AeroTech, Evitado Technologies, and AVIAR, each making a substantial contribution to the successful launch of the “Station of Tomorrow.”
David Barker, regional CEO for Americas, dnata, said: “We are proud to invest in Orlando, the home of dnata’s USA Headquarters, and lead the way in shaping the future of ground handling.
“This initiative aligns with our commitment to implementing practical, scalable solutions that enhance operational performance, safety, and service quality for our airline partners and their passengers.
“We are committed to implementing this model across our 22 locations in the United States, elevating industry standards nationwide.
“We extend our gratitude to our partners, including Lufthansa and Oshkosh AeroTech, for their unwavering support and look forward to achieving further success together.”
Jörg Mnich, vice president commercial airport agreements, Lufthansa Group, said: “The Lufthansa Group is very excited to expand the partnership in North America with dnata in Orlando.
“Especially having Discover Airlines as launching customer at the “Station of Tomorrow” in MCO experiencing this big step in technology development (e.g. E-GSE, safety tools and features, innovative ways of training) shows the spirit of the partnership that has been established over the past years.
“We are keen to see the deployment of the tools and equipment to other joint stations across the network in due time.”
Lars Michael Wendel, nominated person ground operations, Discover Airlines, said: “With the ‘Station of Tomorrow,’ Discover Airlines can offer our customers a new experience that combines efficient technological processes and environmental aspects.
“We are particularly excited about the new E-GSE and the anti-collision system, which make the turnaround more environmentally friendly and meet the airlines’ high safety standards.
“We look forward to taking these steps with dnata as a partner and are proud to be part of these innovations.”