dnata Pay Rates 2026: Ramp, Baggage & Ground Crew Pay
What dnata workers should be paid in 2026 — the Airline Operations—Ground Staff Award floor by classification, casual loading, penalties, and where the dnata enterprise agreements sit.
Payroll & Compliance Editor · Registered BAS Agent, Cert IV Accounting & Bookkeeping
Who covers dnata workers — award or agreement?
dnata provides airport ground handling, passenger services and aviation catering for airlines across several Australian states, part of the Emirates Group's global aviation services business. Its workforce covers ramp and baggage handlers, passenger service agents working check-in and boarding, and catering and cabin-cleaning staff, most working shift rosters built around flight schedules.
The Airline Operations—Ground Staff Award 2020 is the floor for ramp, baggage and passenger service roles; catering and cabin-cleaning staff may sit on a different award depending on the specific function. dnata has a large number of enterprise agreements registered in our corpus, covering different airports, states and functions such as passenger services, and ramp and cargo (listed below where one applies to your role); each must leave staff better off overall than the relevant award.
The federal awards relevant to dnata roles:
- Airline Operations—Ground Staff Award 2020 (MA000048)
Workforce snapshot. In its 2024-25 report to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency, Dnata Dubai declared 4,315 employees across 5 reporting entities — 36.1% casual and 50.5% women. Source: WGEA 2025 Public Data File, data.gov.au (CC-BY 3.0 AU).
Airline ground staff award floor (1 July 2026)
Ramp, baggage and aircraft-servicing staff sit on the Airline Operations—Ground Staff Award 2020 (MA000048):
| Classification | Permanent | Casual (incl. 25%) |
|---|---|---|
| Aircraft Worker 1 (entry — first 3 months) | $25.74/hr | $32.17/hr |
| Aircraft Worker 2 (baggage, ramp, cleaning) | $26.44/hr | $33.05/hr |
| Aircraft Worker 3 (licensed equipment operator) | $27.08/hr | $33.85/hr |
| Aircraft Worker 4 (leading hand) | $27.97/hr | $34.96/hr |
| Tradesperson | $29.45/hr | $36.81/hr |
| Aircraft Maintenance Engineer | $32.13/hr | $40.16/hr |
Airport rosters run around the clock — the award's shift, weekend and public holiday loadings and its minimum-engagement rules are where most ground-crew pay disputes sit.
Source: Fair Work Commission modern awards pay database, current-operative rates (1 July 2026 annual wage review). Casual figures add the 25% casual loading.
The dnata enterprise agreements
Enterprise agreements set rates above the award, with their own classification structures and allowances. Current dnata agreements in our corpus (14 in total):
- dnata Perth Airport Ramp & Cargo Enterprise Agreement 2025 — approved February 2026, nominal expiry 31 August 2029.
- dnata Perth Airport Passenger Services Enterprise Agreement 2025 — approved February 2026, nominal expiry 31 August 2029.
- dnata South Australia Passenger Services Enterprise Agreement 2025 — approved October 2025, nominal expiry 30 June 2028.
- dnata South Australia Passenger Services Enterprise Agreement 2025 — approved October 2025, nominal expiry 30 June 2028.
- dnata & ASU Passenger Services Victoria Enterprise Agreement 2025 — approved February 2026, nominal expiry 29 February 2028.
- DNATA Catering & Retail Australia & TWU – Enterprise Agreement 2024 — approved November 2025, nominal expiry 30 September 2027.
- dnata Catering (subsidiary 1 Pty Ltd) & ASU Enterprise Agreement 2024 — approved February 2025, nominal expiry 31 May 2027.
- DNATA PASSENGER SERVICES NSW ENTERPRISE AGREEMENT 2023 — approved October 2023, nominal expiry 31 October 2025.
Plus 6 more — search "dnata" in our agreements database.
We don't reproduce agreement dollar figures here — the agreement covering your site, state and stream is the document to read. Find your agreement, then your classification, then your pay point, and compare it with your payslip. The award tables on this page are the floor every one of these agreements must beat.
Common aviation pay issues at dnata
The patterns worth checking on a dnata payslip:
- Driving a bigger combination than your grade pays for — the grade follows the vehicle you're required to drive.
- Unpaid loading, waiting and pre-start time.
- Overtime and night loadings absorbed into a flat rate that doesn't beat the award for the roster.
- Contractor arrangements that look like employment — owner-drivers who are really employees.
What to do if your pay looks wrong
Match your payslip to your classification in the agreement (or the award tables above), and price any gap with our back-pay calculator. Raise it in writing with payroll or your manager first — most underpayments are fixed at that step. Unresolved, the Fair Work Ombudsman (13 13 94) recovers underpayments at no cost, up to six years back, and your union can run the claim for you. Not sure which instrument covers you? Ask our AI advisor with your role and location.
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Official resources
General information and estimates only — not legal, financial or tax advice. Always check your specific award, agreement or contract, or a qualified professional, before you rely on the result.
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Six years running payroll for a Western Sydney commercial builder before moving to compliance writing and contract payroll. Registered BAS Agent (TPB). Cert IV in Accounting and Bookkeeping. Writes about pay calculations, superannuation, and the 2026 Payday Super rollout. Based in Cabramatta, Sydney.