Çelebi entered Kenyan market with $40.1 million acquisition of Transglobal Cargo Centre

çelebi

Çelebi Aviation, a global leader in ground handling and cargo services, has closed on the acquisition of 100 percent of Transglobal Cargo Centre Ltd. ("AFS") for $40.1 million, marking the company's entry into Kenya's rapidly expanding aviation services sector. The acquisition is in line with Çelebi's international growth strategy and is expected to increase synergies among group companies.

Located at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), AFS provides ground handling, air-cargo and warehousing services at an airport that moves roughly 20% of Kenya's annual air-cargo volume of 400,000 tonnes. The Kenyan aviation market is forecast to grow at an average rate of 5% per year over the next five years, significantly outpacing the International Air Transport Association's projected global average of 3.3%.

With this transaction, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi becomes an integral part of Çelebi Aviation's global network, further strengthening the Group's presence in one of Africa's most dynamic and strategically important aviation markets.

With more than 65 years of experience, Çelebi Aviation provides ground handling and cargo services to over 400 airline customers across three continents, with operations in Germany, Hungary, Indonesia, Tanzania and Türkiye. The addition of AFS marks the Group's first operation in Kenya and an important step in its long-term growth strategy in Africa.

Dave Dorner, Group Chief Executive Officer of Çelebi Aviation, said: "Kenya is a key gateway for trade and cargo flows across East and Central Africa. By welcoming AFS into the Çelebi family, we are strengthening our commitment to this important market and creating new opportunities for our airline customers, partners and employees. Our aim is to combine AFS's strong local expertise with Çelebi's global experience, modern systems and operational standards to support Kenya's ambitions as a regional trade and logistics hub."

The company underlined that all existing operational commitments and service levels will continue to be honoured, and that any future changes to processes or infrastructure will be implemented in coordination with customers and the relevant authorities.