Spanning all three terminals of Dubai International Airport, dnata’s baggage tracks cover 175 kilometres with more than 1,300 dnata staff on hand to handle peak time baggage and cargo. Bags travel between concourses through high-speed transfer tunnel at 7.5 m/s, helping dnata handle over 82 million bags in 2022.
dnata’s home-check in and land and leave baggage handling services, called DUBZ, is an innovation focused on bringing convenience and peace of mind to the doorstep. For AED 249 ($68), travellers can get the boarding and baggage tag at home while the dnata team whisks away the luggage. For AED 399 ($109), this service may be availed for both onward and return trips – meaning, travellers may land and immediately proceed to exit the airport – as the dnata team will take care of the baggage delivery to pre-determined location. This service is provided for most airlines of choice, not just Emirates.
TTN was advised that for oversized or overweight luggage, for example, surfboards, sports equipment, musical instruments, DUBZ assistants will be able to recommend if there are any additional charges and settle it on spot. Standard carriage rules, terms and conditions apply. The DUBZ service may be booked via call centre, online or through a travel agent.
dnata’s operation of military precision takes place up to five floors below the feet of passengers making their way through any of DXB’s three terminals. Under the concourse floors of Terminal 3 alone, 160 kilometres of baggage tracks spiral around.
The process to guide a bag to its destination begins from 180 minutes before the scheduled time of departure. Any bags checked in prior to this are held in T3’s automated Early Bag Storage facility, with a capacity of 15,000. The departing bag, transported on its distinctive yellow tray linked to the bag’s luggage tag for accurate tracking, will be security screened up to five times as it makes its way through the system. It then progresses to its awaiting container, or Unit Loading Device (ULD), before being transported on to the aircraft.
Of all passengers arriving at Terminal 3 in 2022, 64 per cent were transiting, while at Terminal 2 transit traffic accounted for 45 per cent of all passengers.
Preparation for the transfer of bags to their destination, begins mid-flight. By six hours before the flight’s arrival at DXB, dnata will be ready to accept the bags, knowing how many on each aircraft it needs to transfer, as well as the size, weight and final destination of each one.
Despite this huge hub complexity, dnata consistently delivers world class baggage services at DXB with success rates that significantly outperform the industry average.