A.P. Moller - Maersk (Maersk) has announced the closing of its acquisition of global freight forwarder, Senator International.

In a statement, Maersk said Senator brings with it a strong organization and a well-developed airfreight network comprising own controlled flights and long-term partnerships with airlines, a well-established full container load (FCL) and less than container load (LCL) network, and specialized services such packaging, warehousing and distribution across five continents.

The Danish shipping line noted that the acquisition will enable it to offer an even wider range of products and the ability to provide flexible and integrated logistics solutions to our customers, allowing them to speed up or slow down cargo depending on their changing supply chain needs.

End-to-end solutions

"We are delighted to welcome the Senator team to our Maersk family. As a global provider of integrated logistics, we are improving our ability to provide end-to-end solutions to our customers. With Senator on board, we are ramping up our air freight capacity, network, and know-how significantly to cater even better for our customers," said Vincent Clerc, CEO of Ocean & Logistics, A.P. Moller-Maersk.

In the past two years, knock-on effects of Covid-19 have led to widespread congestion and production issues.

As a result, more customers are requesting alternative means of cargo transportation.

"Senator will add their broad industry expertise and product knowledge to Maersk’s existing network and thus provide customers with increased flexibility and redundancy in their supply chains," it added.

The enterprise value of the transaction on a post IFRS 16 basis is approximately US$644 million as announced in November assuming unchanged FX rate.

"By joining Maersk, our customers will have access to a broader portfolio of products for their business needs and provide them with a single point of contact. It’s a perfect match, and we are really excited about the next chapter in our united journey," said Tim-Oliver Kirschbaum, CEO of Senator International.

Maersk's ambition is to have approximately one-third of the annual air tonnage carried within its own controlled freight network, which will be achieved through a combination of owned and leased aircraft.

The remaining capacity will be provided by strategic commercial carriers and charter flight operators.