Alantra advised the shareholders of Air Dispatch, part of the Chapman Freeborn Group, on its sale to dnata

Jun 2016

Sell-side advisory

Alantra has advised the shareholders of Air Dispatch, part of the Chapman Freeborn Group, on its sale to dnata.
Air Dispatch, founded in 2007, provides centralised load control planning services, calculating the weight and balance conditions for aircraft prior to flight. Its other services include ULD (unit load device) asset tracking and the development of flight optimisation software. The company currently has 200 employees at its operations centres in Prague and Warsaw, and its client portfolio includes Air Berlin, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, LOT, SAS, Qantas and Qatar Airways.

Founded in 1959 in Dubai, dnata is one of the world’s largest air services providers offering ground handling, cargo, travel, and flight catering services in 75 countries across six continents. With over 38,000 employees it has a presence at 129 airports across the globe. The acquisition of Air Dispatch follows other recent high-profile transactions by dnata, including the acquisition of Ground Services International in the US, RM Ground Services in Brazil, and investment in ground handling operations in Milan and cargo facilities at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport.