Australian aircraft sales and flight services company Hawker Pacific has its piston engine overhaul business up for sale, with the proceeds earmarked for growth opportunities in fixed-base operations and aircraft management.
The Sydney Bankstown airport-based business has been operating for 30 years, specialising in the overhaul of Textron Lycoming and Teledyne Continental Motors piston engines. The business, which employs 20 technicians, has approvals from Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority, as well as airworthiness approvals from authorities in China, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand.
Hawker Pacific chief executive Alan Smith says the business is for sale, preferably as a going concern, and has attracted interest from a number of parties. "The business is one of the largest aircraft piston engine overhaul shops in Australia with a substantial customer base and strong orderbook," says Smith. The company's Blue Seal engine overhaul programme has an excellent reputation, with industry-leading warranty and fixed pricing, excluding crankshaft and crankcase replacement, Smith adds.
Smith says Hawker Pacific has decided to offer the business for sale as part of "an ongoing review of the various elements of its business and growth strategy. Proceeds from the sale will be used to assist in funding growth opportunities in the flight services business - FBO and aircraft management - throughout Australia and the Asian region."
Hawker Pacific has FBOs in Brisbane, Cairns and Sydney in Australia, as well as Singapore and Kuala Lumpur's Skypark Subang. It is also establishing an FBO at Shanghai's Hongquiao airport in conjunction with the airport authority.
Meanwhile, Hawker Pacific is expanding in the Middle East with a new avionics facility for rotary and fixed-wing operators at the company's existing facility at the Jebel Ali Free Zone. Operations will start in early 2009. Hawker Pacific is already active in the Middle East, where it is the representative for Bell Helicopters, as well as maintaining a hydraulic workshop and rotor blade repair facility RBI Hawker.
Source: Flight International
