Portuguese business aviation services group Omni Aviação e Tecnologia has acquired French charter operator Aéro Services Executive in a bid to widen its portfolio.
Omni, based in Cascais airport outside Lisbon, completed the 100% acquisition last month, and finalised it late last week. Commercial director Pedro Caneira says: "The deal moves Omni into the big league of European operators."
Omni's Portuguese operations centre on government emergency medical service contracts and turboprop wet leases for regional airlines including PGA Express's Saab 2000s. Omni also provides offshore oil transport at its subsidiary in Rio de Janeiro. The operator, a provider in Bombardier's Flexjet Europe block charter programme, has a Raytheon Beech King Air B200 and a Bombardier Learjet 31 for executive charter. Despite the disparate business areas, Caneira expects the newly enlarged group to "find synergies" between the three bases.
Paris Le Bourget-based AéroServices operates a fleet of Dassault Falcon jets for charter. The company also provides Airbus A319 Corporate Jetliners to Air France for its Dedicate Air Shuttle. The aircraft operates from Paris Charles de Gaulle airport to oil and gas producing destinations in West Africa - Point Noire in the Republic of Congo and Malabo in Equatorial New Guinea.
The Omni group of companies has a combined fleet of 30 fixed-wing and 12 rotary-wing aircraft, putting it in the top 20 European operators. At Cascais airport, the group includes the Omniservisair fixed-base operation, Aeromec maintenance and a flight school.
Source: Flight International
