The Asia Cargo Network (ACN) group and Bahrain’s MENA Aerospace have signed a strategic partnership extending ACN’s reach into the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa as part of its international expansion plans. Under the agreement, ACN plans to base six of its cargo planes in Bahrain and the GCC where it will serve the market in the MENA region as well as cargo routes into and from it.
ACN’s Group CEO Marco Isaak said: “We are incredibly proud of this historic milestone for Asia Cargo Network as we expand our operations into the MENA region. Our partnership with MAE is a testament to our commitment to excellence, and we look forward to cementing our reputation as a strong global player in the industry.”
Mohammed Juman, Founder and Managing Director of MENA Aerospace, said: “As part of our growth plan, over the past couple of years we looked at and analyzed the regional markets to see where the growth is and where the gates are to the global markets. The growth and potential we saw are mainly in the GCC area, Africa and Southeast Asia. Our thought process was to try to link and serve these markets. ACN as the leading freight cargo operator in Southeast Asia was identified as the perfect partner for MAE to expand our services in these markets. We are certain that this partnership will prove fruitful to both companies and the markets that we serve.”
The partnership operations will be conducted under the MENA Cargo brand, the freight cargo subsidiary of MAE. The operations will be fully managed by ACN as it holds an Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) in Bahrain allowing the expansion of routes to the MENA region. ACN will provide all the necessary support for the operational and strategic growth of the airline in line with its SEA plans.
With Bahrain’s tactical location at the crossroads of growing markets on three continents, the ACN-MEA strategic partnership is believed to contribute to strengthening the kingdom’s positioning as a global logistics nexus.