John Menzies plc, the holding company of Menzies Aviation, has announced that it has agreed a £3.4m investment to acquire a minority equity stake in Guangzhou JFreight Aviation Logistics Supply Chain Co Ltd (JFreight), by way of a joint venture.
The JV will see Menzies manage and operate a new cargo terminal at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in China, one of the world’s busiest airports, on behalf of the shareholders of JFreight.
Reportedly, the terminal has capacity to handle 120,000 tonnes annually.
Philipp Joeinig, Chairman & CEO of John Menzies plc said, “I am delighted to be able to announce this expansion in the Chinese cargo market.”
“We are very pleased to have found a great partner in JFreight and I look forward to developing our relationship with them as we move forward. This investment demonstrates our commitment to delivering on our strategy and I am very excited about the opportunity it brings.”
It is envisaged that Menzies’ initial focus will be on the handling of product related to the fast growing Chinese e-commerce market with the potential to expand into more general air cargo handling for airlines in the future.
Zheng Xi Ming, Chairman of JFreight said, “I am very pleased to welcome Menzies Aviation with their established expertise in cargo handling and the wider aviation services market into our venture in Guangzhou. I very much look forward to working closely together and delivering successful operations.”
