International freight forwarding and logistics company Panalpina announced the completion of the acquisition of Air Connection, a specialized forwarder of flowers and vegetables following the approval by the Competition Authority of Kenya. The move follows Panalpina’s acquisition of Airflo in 2016 and positions the company as a clear market leader in perishables in Kenya.
“The acquisition of Air Connection is another important step in building our Perishables Network. It further strengthens our existing global footprint and positions us as a clear market leader in perishables in Kenya,” says Stefan Karlen, CEO of Panalpina. “It will also allow us to develop our perishables presence in the neighboring countries of Tanzania and Uganda, where we see a lot of potential.”
The Panalpina Perishables Network offers customers in both origin and destination countries complete end-to-end solutions on a global scale. Using the company’s global coverage, dedicated perishables experts in key markets, and the unique Panalpina Charter Network, Panalpina is one of the few freight forwarders worldwide that can combine global coverage with experts dedicated to the perishables business.
“Being part of a major logistics company which is focused on becoming the preferred global supplier of perishables logistics means we can now offer our customers end-to-end solutions and grow the perishables business out of Kenya,” added Manjit Brar, owner and managing director of Air Connection.
Founded in 1993, Air Connection has operations close to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi and in Mombasa. The company specializes in the export of flowers and vegetables from Kenya to multiple destinations, including the Netherlands and the UK. The perishables business of Air Connection will be merged with Panalpina Airflo.
“By combining Panalpina’s global network with Air Connection’s expertise in direct shipments, we can now offer our customers an unequalled service including direct shipments to over 150 destinations worldwide,” explains Conrad Archer, managing director of Panalpina Airflo and Panalpina Kenya.
The combined business boosts Panalpina Airflo’s existing cold storage capabilities to a total of 4,200 m2 dedicated to perishables and will handle around 70,000 tons of perishables air freight per year. Construction has already begun to significantly increase the cold storage for perishables, which will be completed next year.
