dnata, the Dubai-based global air and travel services provider, has appointed Siobhán Meaney as Managing Director of its Catering & Retail business in Ireland, effective 1 October 2026. The internal promotion puts a long-serving finance director with first-hand knowledge of its customers in charge of an operation serving seven international airlines across three Irish airports.

Meaney succeeds Andrew Whitworth, who is leaving after more than 10 years with dnata, and takes responsibility for the Irish unit's people, customers, operations and growth. She has served as Finance Director at dnata Ireland for almost eight years, having previously been an Associate Director at CPL Group Plc, and is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.

The structural driver behind the appointment is airlines consolidating catering and retail under a single provider, as seen in dnata's five-year Aer Lingus agreement, under which it manages the end-to-end inflight retail proposition, including product sourcing, warehousing and technology, across more than 160 daily flights from Dublin, Shannon and Cork.

"Ireland is an important market for our Catering & Retail business, with strong customer partnerships and exciting opportunities ahead," said Robin Padgett, CEO of dnata Catering & Retail. "Under Siobhán's leadership, we will continue investing in our people and capabilities while delivering the quality, innovation and reliability our airline partners expect from us."

"We have built a strong operation in Ireland, and there is plenty more we want to achieve," said Meaney. "I look forward to working with our teams, customers and partners as we continue strengthening our business, developing our capabilities and delivering exceptional experiences for airline customers and their passengers."

Based at Dublin Airport Logistics Park, dnata's Irish operation provides inflight catering and retail to seven international airlines, with facilities spanning 9,100 square metres and capacity for up to 40,000 meals a day.

Globally, dnata's Catering & Retail division operates from more than 60 locations with over 10,000 catering professionals, and uplifted 115.3 million meals in 2025-26. dnata, part of the Emirates Group, reported revenue of US6.4billion(approximately€5.4billion)andprofitbeforetaxofUS437 million (approximately €367 million) in its record results for the year to 31 March 2026.

For the sector, the appointment reflects airline caterers placing commercially experienced executives at the head of regional units as airlines look for single-provider partners that combine catering, retail and technology.

Source: dnata / Asian Aviation / Travel Trade Journal