dnata has appointed Nabil Sultan as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective 15 June 2026, marking a significant leadership transition at the global aviation services and ground handling company owned by Emirates Group.
Sultan succeeds Steve Allen, who is stepping down after leading the business through a period of post-pandemic recovery, operational expansion and international growth across dnata’s cargo, travel and airport services divisions.
The appointment reinforces Emirates Group’s long-standing internal leadership pipeline, with Sultan bringing more than three decades of experience spanning cargo operations, commercial strategy, revenue optimisation and global airline management.
Most recently, Sultan served as Executive Vice President for Passenger Sales and Country Management at Emirates, a role he assumed in 2024. Prior to that, he spent more than a decade leading Emirates SkyCargo as Divisional Senior Vice President, overseeing one of the world’s largest air freight operations during a period of rapid global cargo growth.
Having joined the Emirates Group in 1990, Sultan also held senior leadership roles across revenue optimisation and distribution before transitioning into cargo leadership in 2013.
His appointment comes at a sensitive moment for the aviation and logistics sectors, as airlines and ground service providers continue to navigate supply chain disruptions, volatile cargo demand and operational challenges linked to regional instability affecting Middle East airspace.
Allen, who joined the Emirates Group in 2009, played a central role in expanding dnata’s international footprint across cargo handling, airport hospitality and travel services. From 2016 onward, he oversaw dnata’s airport operations and cargo services in the UAE before taking charge of the company’s global travel division in 2020, where he led its international transformation strategy.
Before joining the Emirates Group, Allen spent 16 years with British Airways in commercial, financial and operational leadership roles across multiple international markets.
The leadership transition follows another strong financial year for dnata. The company reported a 10% increase in cargo handling revenue to AED3.4 billion, while cargo volumes rose 2.1% year-on-year to 3.2 million tonnes.
Growth was supported by rising e-commerce demand in the UAE and UK, pricing optimisation initiatives and the acquisition of Australia and New Zealand-based trucking specialist Wymap Group.
dnata also strengthened its cargo infrastructure network with the launch of a fully automated cargo facility in Amsterdam. The €70 million facility is among the largest automated air cargo centres of its kind globally and has an annual handling capacity of 600,000 tonnes.
The company said increased airline activity and new international carrier contracts also contributed to higher cargo volumes and operational growth during the year.