ONE OF AUSTRALIA'S richest private companies, Darwin-based Paspaley Pearling Group, has acquired most assets of the Ansett Group's Perth-based general-aviation arm, Skywest Aviation, for an undisclosed price.
Skywest Aviation operates about 35 light- to medium- turboprop aircraft, principally on a range of Government and resource-industry contracts and mining-support operations in Papua New Guinea. The acquisition includes aircraft and bases in Broome, Darwin, Perth, Port Hedland and Sydney, with a total staff of about 150.
Ansett has retained ownership of former associated company Skywest Airlines (Skywest's Cairns base has been sold separately) and Adelaide Flight Centre, a passenger-handling and engineering operation, has been retained for use by wholly Ansett-owned regional carrier Kendell Airlines.
Source: Flight International
