MSC has acquired the majority stake of AlisCargo Airlines, a Milan-based air freight carrier; the parties confirmed that the transaction is a first step towards the acquisition of 100% of AlisCargo Airlines by MSC, expected to happen at the beginning of 2024, once AlisCargo Airlines will restart operations with the delivery of a Boeing 777F. This transaction is yet another step to further developing MSC Air Cargo operations and creates a European gateway and transit point for MSC’s air cargo solutions. Furthermore, the deal complements MSC Air Cargo’s aim to expand its existing trade lane network with better coverage and increased flexibility.

MSC Air Cargo Senior Vice President Jannie Davel stated: “The acquisition of a majority share in AlisCargo Airlines is a step towards expanding MSC’s Air Cargo solution capabilities, and ultimately providing our customers with a quality and consistent offering. I am equally proud that we have found a partner that shares a common vision with us and has built a strong foundation for which we hope to further develop.”

The majority selling party is represented by the Leali Group, led by Mr. Domenico Alcide Leali who, after the success with Air Dolomiti started AlisCargo Airlines in 2019.

Mr. Giacomo Manzon, General Manager of AlisCargo Airlines briefly commented: “I am proud to see a group like MSC entering as a major shareholder of AlisCargo Airlines and developing further the project that Leali Group has initiated. I am thankful for MSC’s trust in us, and we will work hard together to make it a success story.”

MSC Air Cargo has been building up its air cargo offering through numerous strategic partnerships with sales agents and software providers. MSC Air Cargo provides a complementary solution to MSC’s core shipping services and operates two aircraft managed by Atlas Air Worldwide between Europe, Central America and Asia and will add two more in the next 6 months. Following the completion of the operation, MSC Air Cargo will have a new operating license and a fleet of 5 wide-body aircraft within the next 12 months.

Banca Finint acted as financial advisor to Leali Group. Gianni & Origoni acted as legal advisor to MSC and Leali Group, with two separate teams of lawyers from its Milan and Padua offices, respectively.

Hapag-Lloyd successfully completed its 100 % acquisition of SM SAAM’s terminal business and related logistics services, which is based on an agreement announced in October 2022. The transaction was approved unconditionally by the relevant antitrust authorities of all countries involved in this acquisition process.

“We are very pleased about the successful completion of this transaction, which significantly increases our footprint in Latin America and underlines our commitment to the Latin American markets. Looking ahead, we will focus on further developing the business and on continuing to offer the best quality to all of SAAM Terminals’ customers,” said Rolf Habben Jansen, CEO of Hapag-Lloyd AG.
Investing in terminal infrastructure is a key element of Hapag-Lloyd’s strategic agenda, and Latin America is one of its key markets. The transaction includes interests in terminals in Iquique, Antofagasta, San Antonio, San Vicente and Corral (Chile), Port Everglades (United States / Florida), Mazatlán (Mexico), Buenavista (Colombia), Guayaquil (Ecuador) and Caldera (Costa Rica) as well as related logistics services. The acquisition will further strengthen Hapag-Lloyd’s core liner shipping business and help the carrier to build up a robust and attractive terminal portfolio.

The new entity will be led by its CEO, Mauricio Carrasco, who has been Managing Director for the Terminals Division within the SAAM Group since 2020. Mauricio Carrasco is an experienced senior executive with long-standing experience in Latin America and globally. He has served as Senior Vice President of Development at CSAV and as Senior Director at Hapag-Lloyd, with responsibilities in the Americas, China, Dubai, and India. Rodolfo Díaz, former Senior Director Business Administration Region Latin America at Hapag-Lloyd, will join him as CFO.

Hapag-Lloyd has continuously expanded its involvement in the terminal sector and holds stakes in the Container Terminal Wilhelmshaven, the Container Terminal Altenwerder in Hamburg, the Italy-based Spinelli Group, the India-based J M Baxi Ports & Logistics Limited, Terminal TC3 in Tangier, and Terminal 2 in Damietta, Egypt, which is currently under construction.

DHL Group has signed an agreement to acquire 100% of Turkish parcel delivery company MNG Kargo Yurtiçi ve Yurtdışı Taşımacılık A.Ş. and its subsidiaries. MNG Kargo is one of the leading parcel delivery companies in Turkey, where the parcel and e-commerce market is growing rapidly. In addition to securing a leading position in this strongly developing domestic parcel market, this acquisition will create additional synergies for DHL Group, and its customers will benefit from unique logistics offerings within Turkey as well as cross border through the collaboration of the various DHL divisions already present in Turkey.

“Alongside sustainability, globalization, and digitalization we identified e-commerce as a megatrend in logistics and therefore made it an area of focus in our DHL Group Strategy 2025 over the last years,” says Tobias Meyer, CEO DHL Group. “E-commerce remains one of the biggest growth drivers for logistics services and especially for parcel volumes. We, therefore, continuously work to expand our footprint in the e-commerce sector – whether through organic or inorganic growth. MNG Kargo complements our business portfolio and will help further to strengthen our position in this sector.”

For DHL eCommerce, the newly acquired parcel network, with 27 mid-mile sorting centers and over 800 last-mile branches in all relevant cities of Turkey, is a perfect addition to the European parcel delivery network and thus becomes part of the business unit. Mainly driven by a young, dynamic population with a high affinity for digital communication, the e-commerce market in Turkey is expected to see double-digit growth in the coming years – significantly higher than in the EU markets. By combining DHL eCommerce’s network and digital expertise with MNG Cargo’s local footprint, DHL Group will be perfectly situated to benefit from the enormous growth potential of the Turkish market.

“Our aspiration at DHL eCommerce is to provide our customers with reliable, affordable, and sustainable e-commerce delivery services,” says Pablo Ciano, CEO DHL eCommerce. “The backbone of this is our extensive network operated by us or through partnerships and our digital expertise and capabilities. The acquisition of MNG Kargo will strengthen our network and help us connect our customers with the Turkish market, and vice versa.”

Amongst others, Turkey benefits from manufacturers’ strive for a more resilient supply chain setup and already has an established strong manufacturing base, such as the e-commerce-driven textile industry. DHL Express inaugurated a new, state-of-the-art hub at Istanbul Airport in 2021, and only recently, DHL Global Forwarding announced it would be intensifying its cooperation with Turkish Cargo. Despite MNG Kargo becoming part of DHL eCommerce, all DHL divisions and their customers will profit from the synergies of the newly acquired company. MNG Kargo, in turn, will benefit from DHL Group’s international logistics expertise and extensive global network.

The transaction is subject to merger control clearance by the Turkish Competition Authority as well as approval of the Turkish Information and Communications Technologies Authority.