The Emirates subsidiary Dnata intends to take over the German freight service provider Wisskirchen Handling Services. The official approval of the transaction is still pending. With this acquisition, the company enters the German market in the area of ​​cargo services.

Wisskirchen is the sole operator of the Cologne-Bonn Freight Center, a 12.000 square meter facility at Cologne/Bonn Airport (CGN), which offers a comprehensive range of freight services with a team of around 180 highly qualified employees. The company handles more than 85.000 tons of cargo annually, including general cargo, perishables, pharmaceuticals, hazardous materials, electronics and other consumer goods.

Cologne-Bonn Airport is the third largest airport in Germany in terms of freight and has considerable additional growth capacity. It operates 24 hours a day and is ideally connected to the road network. In 2021, cargo handling at the CGN increased by 14 percent compared to the previous year - a new annual record.

Dnata has entered into agreements with Oliver Hellwig, the owner of Wisskirchen, to acquire 100 percent of the company's shares. It was agreed not to disclose the details of the transaction. The takeover is subject to the approval of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection in Germany.

“We are pleased to announce our first cargo investment in Germany. It is part of our ongoing and comprehensive commitments to freight infrastructure. Since 2014 we have invested in nine new cargo facilities in Europe. We look forward to playing a crucial role in the next phase of Cologne/Bonn Airport's development as a major cargo hub and I would like to thank Oliver Hellwig for his professionalism throughout this process,” said Stewart Angus, Regional CEO Europe at Dnata.

Thilo Schmid, CEO of Cologne Bonn Airport, adds: “We are delighted to welcome dnata, a renowned global player in the field of airport services, to Cologne/Bonn. Dnata's commitment will do its part to further increase the freight handling efficiency in our Cargo Center and is proof of the high quality of the location of Cologne/Bonn Airport and of its central importance as the most important logistics hub in North Rhine-Westphalia".