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OceanX: Zim earnings power matches Hapag; Value in forwarding; SaaS end nears?

I was on a short trip to Greece for some meetings - apart from the hassles that even supposedly short trips always bring, it is always nice to return to Athens! A place I have come to every other year for over two decades now. Thus, it is interesting to witness how it changes and how it does seem to be on a new high now after the lows of the financial crisis had it in a quite depressive state for ...

Portugal selects Lufthansa's bid for TAP stake

The Portuguese government has selected Lufthansa's bid for a stake in TAP Air Portugal ahead of the Air France-KLM Group. The government said it had selected Lufthansa's bid for a minority stake as part of the privatisation of TAP due to Lufthansa's higher offer, which is reportedly 16% up on the Air France-KLM bid, and less uncertainty. Lufthansa Group has offered a purchase price of €1bn for a 44.9% stake, but this amount could increase to up to €1.2bn for the acquisition of a 49.9% stake. The deal also includes a proposal for the acquisition of a majority stake in TAP, under a possible second phase divestment. Lufthansa said it would support TAP's growth while preserving its national identity and strengthening Portugal's connectivity, particularly with North and Latin America. Carsten Spohr, chairman of the executive board and chief executive of Deutsche Lufthansa, said: "TAP Air Portugal is a strong and profitable airline, our long-standing partner in Star Alliance and internationally successful as a leading carrier on South Atlantic routes. "This allows us to consistently pursue our internationalisation strategy and sustainably strengthen our position in the South Atlantic market. Our company has enjoyed a close and trusted partnership with Portugal for many years." Cargo impact In terms of cargo, the deal will allow Lufthansa Cargo to expand its offering between Europe and South America - in particular Brazil - and Africa from TAP's Lisbon and Porto hubs. The airline currently serves 14 destinations to Brazil and is considered the leading European carrier for the country. Meanwhile, TAP will gain access to Lufthansa's strong network heading east and its fleet of freighters, allowing it to expand the types of cargo it can carry. Digital systems will, however, need to be aligned as both utilise different platforms. As part of the deal, one of the last European airline privatisation projects, 5% of shares will be reserved for employees. Lufthansa will appoint three executive directors. The government will retain five of the nine board of directors, including the chairman. The transaction is expected to close at the beginning of 2028. Lufthansa has also committed to expanding TAP's fleet to 117 aircraft by 2035 and 130 aircraft after 2035. It currently stands at around 100 aircraft.

Liege Airport cargo growth flatlines following EU e-commerce charge

Cargo specialist Liege Airport has been one of Europe's fastest-growing freight hubs in recent years but the European Union's introduction of a charge on low-value parcels has put the brakes on growth. The Belgian airport today released its traffic figures for the third quarter of the year, which showed that cargo volumes were 0.1% down year on year at 334,950 tonnes, while aircraft movements dropped by 6% compared with last year to 6,826. To put the fall in context, the airport registered an 11% year-on-year increase in cargo volumes in the first half of the year. Liege said the fall in movements is mainly due to the introduction, on 1 July 2026, of a €3 tax on imported parcels valued at less than €150. The charge was introduced to try and stem the flow of e-commerce goods into the bloc. Since its introduction, volumes of small parcels have fallen by 42%, directly affecting part of the e-commerce- related business and reducing the number of flights dedicated to this segment. However, the airport was also keen to point out that over the first nine months of the year, cargo volumes have continued to grow and are 7.3% ahead of last year's levels at just over 1m tonnes. Flight numbers are up 0.1% at 21,180. Liege Airport chief executive Laurent Jossart said: "The sluggish growth in the third quarter reflects the immediate impact of the new tax regime applied to small parcels. "However, when we look at the results since the start of the year, we can see that the airport continues to grow. We are recording stable traffic in terms of the number of movements, have passed the 1m tonne mark and are seeing particularly strong growth in exports. "These results demonstrate the resilience of our hub and the diversification of our cargo operations." The airport said that the growth levels registered over the first nine months of the year are driven in particular by strong export performance. Between January and September 2026, exports totalled 453,265 tonnes, compared with 382,299 tonnes a year earlier - an increase of 18.5%. Air Cargo News has requested the airport traffic figures for September. In August, the airport remarked that the new charge had "profoundly altered the structure of imports".