MENZIES AVIATION ACQUIRES DUTCH AIR-CARGO HANDLER

MENZIES AVIATION ACQUIRES DUTCH AIR-CARGO HANDLER

   Menzies Aviation Group has signed an agreement with Beheersmaatschappij Lubbers BV to buy Dutch air-cargo handler Fr8.

   Fr8 (formerly CSC Nederland) operates in Schiphol and Rotterdam airports, and handles more than 320,000 tons of cargo a year for about 38 airlines, including Martinair, Air France, Asiana Airlines, British Airways, Cargolux, Cathay Pacific, China Airlines, Delta Airlines, Lufthansa Cargo, Royal Jordanian Airlines, Saudi Arabian Airlines, South African Airways and Varig.

   Menzies Aviation Group, a subsidiary of John Menzies plc, entered the ground handling business in the Netherlands in late 2000 after it acquired Ogden Ground Services. The Fr8 transaction will make Menzies Aviation Group the largest independent cargo handler in the Netherlands.

   “The acquisition of Fr8 will be significant development for MAG and enable us to build our current ramp, passenger and cargo activities at Schiphol Airport,” said Peter Smith, chief executive of Menzies Aviation Group. “It will allow MAG to link our substantial U.K. cargo handling, trucking and forwarding network with another key European freight hub.”

   The board of John Menzies plc expects to complete the acquisition of Fr8 by the end of March.