Both airlines are hopeful that the new agreement will enhance their services while cutting costs, according to the carriers' spokespeople.
The contract, effective June 8, will cover the two carriers’ operations at London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Manchester, Glasgow and Edinburgh, as well as six other UK regional airports: Aberdeen, Belfast, Birmingham, East Midlands, Leeds/Bradford and Newcastle.
At all of the airports, the two airlines will co-locate their handling facilities with dnata. For Virgin, this is a further extension of a UK agreement with dnata which began in the late 1980s. Delta also has a long-standing relationship with former two which dates back to this time.
Gareth Joyce, President of Delta Cargo, explained that, in utilising this “one roof in partnership” with dnata, both carriers will be able to deliver a more seamless and efficient service to their customers. “While the two airlines have operated a codeshare since 2013, the new agreement will streamline drop-off and collection points for customers, and speed up truck turnaround times at London Heathrow,” Joyce explained.
Moving more than 200,000 tonnes of cargo a year, Virgin is dnata’s largest cargo customer in the UK, and also holds contracts with the handler in Dubai and Australia.
