One of the USA’s biggest business aviation services players is looking to acquire a fixed-base operation (FBO) or maintenance network in Europe.
Landmark Aviation (previously Garrett/Piedmont Hawthorne/Associated) says it is particularly interested in London, Paris and Geneva. “We recognise it’s a growing market,” says vice-chairman Dean Harton.
The Tempe, Arizona-based company, which has 34 FBOs and 10 maintenance centres across North America, says it would consider only businesses with at least three sites and over a certain size. “A single operation would not make sense because of the difficulty in running it remotely,” says Harton.
Its only other foray outside the USA was the purchase of three centres in Calgary, Toronto and Vancouver from Shell six years ago. “Because of the differences in cultures, labour laws and other regulations, these are run by a regional manager for Canada,” says Harton.
Source: Flight International