Ocean Network Express (ONE) will fold its Hong Kong-based East Asia and Singapore-based South Asia regional functions into a single Asia-Pacific Regional Headquarters in Singapore, effective 1 April 2027.

The new headquarters will oversee the carrier's business across 15 markets. ONE has named Louis Tang as Region Head for Asia-Pacific, placing one executive over a commercial patch that until now ran through two separate regional structures.

The reorganisation goes beyond Asia. ONE will centralise management of its East, West and Southern African markets at its Dubai Regional Headquarters, while its London office retains responsibility for Europe, the Mediterranean and North Africa. The result is a three-pole regional structure — Singapore, Dubai and London — covering the carrier's business outside its Japanese home base.

CEO Till Ole Barrelet framed the move as a growth play rather than a cost exercise. "Asia Pacific and Africa are important growth regions for ONE. Our regional headquarters sit closest to our customers and our markets, and these changes will enable us to make faster decisions and accelerate growth. They will also support further investments in both regions," Barrelet said.

What changes for shippers and forwarders?

In the near term, nothing. ONE stated the restructuring will not immediately affect its services, customer contracts or daily operations, and local teams will remain the main points of contact for customers.

That assurance matters for BCOs and forwarders with accounts across multiple ONE markets in Asia. A single regional head in Singapore shortens decision lines for pricing, equipment allocation and service decisions spanning, say, Thailand and India — trades that previously sat under different regional structures in Hong Kong and Singapore.

For carriers competing on intra-Asia and Asia-Africa lanes, the signal is that ONE intends to press its advantage in regions it has identified as growth engines. Centralising Africa under Dubai also consolidates the carrier's fastest-expanding southbound trades under one management roof, closer to the transhipment hubs that serve them.

How will the transition work?

ONE will implement the restructuring in phases. Existing teams will initially continue in their current roles under the new regional structures, with functions and responsibilities aligned as the transitions progress.

The carrier has set no public timetable for completing the phase-in beyond the 1 April 2027 start date, and it has not disclosed any headcount implications of merging the East Asia and South Asia organisations.

The reorganisation forms part of ONE 2030, the carrier's corporate strategy, and its stated plans for further growth in Asia-Pacific and Africa. The regional consolidation suggests ONE expects demand growth in these markets to justify tighter, faster management structures — and points toward further investment announcements in both regions as the 2027 launch approaches.