International exhibition organiser Messe München has bought the Air Cargo India and Air Cargo Africa exhibitions from Indian publishing house Stat Trade Times.

Air Cargo Africa is the largest air cargo trade fair in Africa, attracting over 80 exhibitors and 2 000 visitors from across the continent. 

Former owner of the Air Cargo exhibitions and Stat Trade Times co-owner Priyo Patra will work with Messe München to expand these two events, a statement said on Tuesday.

The acquisitions strengthen Messe München’s network of successful international transport logistics events, which focus on logistics, mobility, information technology and supply chain management.

“Air Cargo is an important and growing area at the transport logistic series of trade fairs. Following strong global growth of 10% in 2017, the [International Air Transport Association] predicts an air cargo increase of 4% for 2018, with significant growth predicted in the coming years,” Messe München management board member Gerhard Gerritzen commented on Tuesday.

He elaborated that this growth is evidenced at the leading Air Cargo international trade fair in Munich, which will take place in June 2019. This event is already fully booked, even though the event was expanded over the 2017 edition.

The Air Cargo India and Air Cargo Africa exhibitions will, meanwhile, benefit from their affiliation with Messe München’s transport logistic exhibitions, while Patra will ensure continuity and local market expertise, the statement added.

The partnership will create “tremendous synergies and I am sure that the air freight industry will benefit in many ways from it”, Patra stated.

Additionally, the next Air Cargo Africa will take place in Johannesburg, South Africa, from February 19 to 21.

Eighty exhibitors and 2 126 visitors were on site at its fourth edition in 2017.

Air Cargo India, meanwhile, takes place in Mumbai every two years, with 74 exhibitors and 2 534 visitors in attendance at the most recent iteration in February this year.