dnata invests $31.2m to expand Melbourne Airport catering facility

dnata Catering & Retail, part of the Emirates Group, is investing $31.2m (AUD50m) to expand its Melbourne Airport facility, which will advance the logistics giant’s capacity to meet the evolving demands of its growing customer base by providing innovative catering and retail solutions.

The expansion project will add 5,700 square meters to the company’s existing facility, increasing its total footprint to over 16,000 square meters – the largest airline catering centre in Victoria with the capacity to produce 25 million meals annually.

The construction of the facility is underway, and it is scheduled to be operational in September 2026.

“This significant expansion of our Melbourne facility is an important step in our ongoing growth journey, enabling us to meet the rapidly increasing demand for our quality services. It will contribute to our efforts to support the local economy and communities by creating new jobs and stimulating growth in associated sectors,” said Hiranjan Aloysius, dnata Catering & Retail’s Regional CEO for Asia Pacific.

dnata’s planned AUD80m in infrastructure investment is expected to create more than 300 direct jobs over the next three years and generate indirect employment through partnerships with local suppliers.

Last year, the logistics firm invested more than AUD200m in products sourced from local Australian suppliers.

dnata currently provides catering and retail services in Australia to more than 40 airline customers at nine airports. The company’s catering and retail division produced over 50 million meals, serving full-service, low-cost and VIP carriers from more than 60 locations in the first six months of 2024/25.

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