Aberdeen Standard Investments’ AIPUT fund has signed a pre-let agreement with its long-standing customer, dnata, promoting the continued growth of its air cargo facility at dnata City East, located immediately south of Heathrow Airport.
The proposed 115,000 sq ft facility has been designed to operate in conjunction with a newly-completed 250,000 sq ft warehouse (also operated by dnata), handling all Virgin Atlantic Cargo and Delta Cargo’s air freight at Heathrow.
The existing building alone represented the largest off-airport pre-let in Heathrow’s history. Subject to planning consent, the proposed new facility will make dnata City East the largest off-site cargo handling operation at the UK’s largest commercial aviation hub.
The proposed new facility at dnata City East has – like its counterpart – been specifically designed to accommodate the operational requirements of dnata (the largest independent cargo-handler serving Heathrow), and its client, Virgin/Delta. The two dnata City East buildings together will double the size of the airlines’ joint cargo operations at Heathrow.
The proposed new facility will incorporate the latest carbon reduction initiatives in both its design and operation in line with AIPUT’s Carbon Strategy to future-proof the use and value of the facility – including the use of solar PV panels, air-source heat pumps and electric vehicle charging – targeting a BREEAM ‘Very Good’ rating as a minimum.
ChappellKing is instructed as AIPUT’s strategic development consultants for dnata City East.
