dnata upgrades Dubai cargo operations with new CICC

dnata has transformed its existing cargo control centre into a new Cargo Integrated Command Centre (CICC) in Dubai, integrating advanced technology, operational data and decision-making capabilities to enhance the efficiency of its cargo operations across the UAE.

Located at dnata’s Dubai International Airport (DXB) hub, the CICC provides a centralised view of cargo activities across DXB and Dubai World Central-Al Maktoum International (DWC). The facility enables teams to anticipate operational requirements, coordinate resources and respond quickly to changing conditions.

The command centre oversees a large-scale operation that handled more than one million tonnes of cargo, 189,000 flight movements and 46,000 truck movements during the 2025–26 financial year.

The initiative comes as Dubai continues to expand its aviation and logistics infrastructure, with the development of DWC expected to create significant additional capacity and support the emirate’s long-term growth as a global cargo hub.

At the heart of the CICC is dnata’s internally developed operational dashboard, which consolidates critical data and refreshes every 10 seconds to provide teams with a near real-time view of cargo operations.

The centre integrates dnata’s One Cargo management system, which tracks operational activities and transactions in real time, along with its Appointment and Dock Management (ADM) system, providing visibility into truck movements across both DXB and DWC. It also incorporates data from Calogi, dnata’s cargo community platform, offering greater oversight of landside operations and ancillary services, including last-mile delivery.

Together, these integrated systems allow the CICC team to monitor operations across dnata’s cargo network, identify potential bottlenecks and coordinate timely action across facilities and operational teams.

With a comprehensive view of the cargo journey, CICC teams can make faster and more informed decisions on workload, capacity and resource allocation. This helps ensure the smooth flow of cargo through dnata’s facilities while maintaining consistently high service levels for airline and freight forwarding customers.

Nabil Sultan Al Murr, Group Chief Executive Officer, dnata, said, “Cargo operations involve thousands of interconnected activities every day, making operational visibility essential to maintaining performance at scale. Our enhanced cargo command centre is part of our ambition to continuously evolve our operating model and infrastructure to strengthen Dubai’s position as a leading global logistics hub.”

The enhanced CICC builds on dnata’s ongoing investment in technology and digitalisation across its Dubai cargo operations.

Recent initiatives include the use of autonomous drones for warehouse inventory management, achieving shipment-tracking accuracy of more than 99%, and the establishment of a centralised cargo screening control room in collaboration with Dubai Police. The facility allows six X-ray screening machines at DXB to be remotely monitored and operated from a single location.

Designed to support future growth, the CICC provides a scalable operational model that can evolve alongside dnata’s expanding cargo activities, helping manage increasing capacity and operational complexity across the UAE.

The article was originally published on The STAT Trade Times.