The Chelton subsidiary of the UK's Cobham Group has expanded its avionics business, completing the acquisition of BAE Systems' radome division - renaming it Chelton Radomes - for £5 million ($7.8 million), making it Europe's biggest radome specialist. It has also bought search and rescue specialist Halleria of South Africa for £400,000. Cobham has, meanwhile, completed the purchase of Australian specialist flight operations business NJS, while its Flight Refuelling unit has sold ML Lifeguard Equipment to Wardle Storeys for £2.7 million. Lufthansa Commercial Holding has taken a 10% stake in wholesale air cargo Internet marketplace Global Freight Exchange, which launched in 1998. Russia's Kaskol Group has taken a 16% stake in outsize cargo specialist Volga-Dnepr, buying 10% from the Ukrainian property fund and the rest from Russian investors. Defence electronics group EDO's Acquisition III subsidiary has merged with AIL Technologies, a niche electronics specialist, creating an integrated defence and aerospace technology business with annual sales of $240 million. Both are based in New York state. Lufthansa Technik (LHT) is acquiring Tulsa, Oklahoma-based business aircraft maintenance provider Bizjet International Sales & Support, in line with its strategy of North American expansion. LHT plans to develop Bizjet's capabilities to include Boeing Business Jets and Airbus A319 Corporate Jet overhaul. Northrop Grumman has completed the acquisition of Oslo-based Navia Aviation, a unit of Norway's Navia ASA, for $35 million in cash. Navia Aviation, a supplier of instrument landing, digital voice switching and air traffic control systems, will report to Park Air Electronics. Mercury Air Group of the USA has acquired two fixed base operations (FBOs) at Fort Wayne International Airport, India, taking its FBO operation to 18 bases.
Source: Flight International
