Global air and travel services provider dnata has successfully integrated autonomous drones into its cargo operations in Dubai, UAE reports London's Air Cargo News.

The company said this initiative has enhanced operational efficiencies and delivered benefits for airline customers at both Dubai International (DXB) and Dubai World Central (DWC) airports.

Key results include a 20 per cent reduction in processing times on the rack inventories and over 99 per cent accuracy in shipment tracking.

dnata was the first cargo services provider to introduce drones to its cargo operations in the UAE in 2021. The drones have been integrated into the day-to-day workflow and warehouse inventory processes.

On average, dnata's drones monitor some 1,800 shipments daily, with 99 per cent accuracy across 2,400 rack locations.

The software used by dnata's partner, Gather AI, enables the drones to map the environment, collect inventory data, count cases, measure temperature, and read barcodes using only their cameras, without the need for any additional active infrastructure.

The use of drones has also contributed to a reduction in carbon footprint and improved safety by reducing the need for mobile elevating work platforms (also known as 'cherry pickers') and man lifts in the warehouse.

The drones can operate at temperatures between 0 Celsius and +50 Celsius degrees within a closed environment, enabling dnata to take advantage of the technology in its cool chain facilities, too.

dnata also has plans to introduce them at further stations across its global cargo network in the next years.