Global transport and logistics company– Kuenhe + Nagel has acquired Morgan Air and Sea Freight Logistics Kenya Limited, cementing its air freight business in Kenya.
The Competition Authority of Kenya has unconditionally approved the deal expanding the, Switzerland based headquartered firm's presence in Kenya and Africa’s perishables market.
CAK said the approval was granted based on the fact that the transaction is unlikely to negatively impact competition in the market for air freight forwarding of perishable goods.
It also noted that the deal will not elicit negative public interest concerns, including employment, as the target’s 129 employees will be retained under the same current terms of employment.
Kuenhe + Nagel (Kenya) Limited, a company incorporated in Kenya, is a logistics partner providing end-to-end logistics solutions, including sea freight, airfreight, road and rail logistics and contract logistics.
The main commercial activities of Morgan Air Limited (Morgan Logistics), incorporated in Kenya, are handling, transportation and delivery of perishables, mainly flowers, fruit, and vegetables by aircraft.
Merging parties whose combined turnover or assets, whichever is higher, is over Sh1 billion are required to seek approval from the authority, before implementing the proposed transaction.
Data from the Kenya Airports Authority indicates that there are about 10 major market players in the market, majority based at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
The merging parties will control a combined market share of 21.99 per cent in air freight business in Kenya.
Kuenhe + Nagel has been leading with a 19.1 per cent share followed by Panalpina AirFlo Limited (17.2%), Siginon Freight (7.5%), Freight Wings (6.49%), Freight In Time (5.37%), Lift Cargo(3.59%), Morgan Air (2.89%), while others accounted for the remaining 37.86 per cent of business.
Globally, the air freight forwarding market is highly competitive and contributes 0.16 per cent of global food, perishables transportation.
Perishables account for 15 per cent of the total transportation.
The market is concentrated with the presence of large international express carrier service providers that are segmented based on services, destination, end-to-use and region.
The world’s leading major players in this market, based on volumes, include DHL Supply Chain & Global Forwarding, Kuenhe + Nagel, DB Schenker Logistics and DSV Panalpina.
Others are UPS Supply Chain Solutions, Expeditors International, Nippon Express, Bollore Logistics, Hellmann Worldwide Logistics and Kintetsu World Express.