Express delivery: western Europe set for growth

The coming five years are set to be a boon for providers of express delivery services in Europe. During this time the sector will grow by 33% in the major Western European markets, double that of standard parcel delivery services. Although the B2B segment continues to dominate, business to consumer (B2C) services will experience faster growth as mail order and Internet shopping expand.

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FedEx: plans to acquire TNT would shake up the industry

FedEx is reported to be interested in acquiring TNT, which seems to suggest that it does not want to rely on organic growth to strengthen its position in the global express market. Although combining two of the world's leading players this would put strong pressure on the other two integrators, UPS and DHL and overall, the competitiveness of the industry looks set to remain intact.

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Frans Maas: seeing red

Frans Maas has revealed surprisingly poor 2004 results. The company has swung to a net loss from a net profit in 2003 due to exceptional charges and a disappointing performance in Spain and France. However, the Dutch operator is not the first foreign logistics operator to have a tough time in these markets.

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KLM: no frills in executive class

KLM's [KLM.AS] top executives have not accepted the bonuses offered by Air France to avoid conflicts with unions and government. The Dutch airline is going through a tough restructuring plan while completing its merger with Air France [AF.PA]. The management's decision shows a good deal of self-awareness in a difficult transitional period for the airline.

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KLM: the right to claim aid

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Logistics: French most likely to outsource virtually all activities

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Maersk / P&O Nedlloyd: full steam ahead

Danish shipping giant AP Moller-Maersk has unveiled a E2.3 billion bid for Dutch rival P&O Nedlloyd. Although this represents a premium of almost 41%, the deal would cement Maersk's leading position in a booming market, while countering poor performance elsewhere in its portfolio.

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Maersk: steaming ahead with acquisition

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Rail freight: up the junction

The rail freight operator ran a service of six weekly trains from Amsterdam to Milan, catering mainly for the Dutch flower and fresh produce export market. Politicians have for years been extolling the virtues of taking freight off the road, but efforts in this direction will be useless until the structural problems that dog the rail industry are resolved.

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TDG: strengthening its presence - but maybe not enough

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