The UK's BBA Group is to acquire Ranger Aerospace, parent of North American handling and fuelling company Aircraft Service International (ASIG), for $152 million. ASIG, which complements BBA's Signature network of US fixed-based operations, also has operations at eight European airports. Its annual sales of $140 million should boost BBA's aviation-related turnover to £300 million. BFGoodrich is to buy Raytheon Optical Systems (ROS), a specialist in optical sensors for military and civil satellites. Connecticut-based ROS had sales last year of $152 million. CHC Helicopter has completed the sale of its Canadian onshore operations for C$137 million ($90 million) to a new company, owned by current management and an equity investor, which will operate as Canadian Helicopters. CHC will buy a 45% stake in Canadian for C$4.5 million and will invest a further C$15 million. CHC will retain leases on 12 Sikorsky S-76As used in Canadian's air ambulance operations for up to five years. Net proceeds will be around C$100 million. Ball Aerospace & Technologies has acquired a minority interest in Colorado-based Vexcel, a synthetic aperture radar data-processing specialist, as it focuses on space-based remote sensing. Frankfurt/Main Airport has bought 50.1% of Frankfurt-based Civil Aviation Security Services from Lufthansa's GlobeGround subsidiary, giving it 100% of the security specialist.
Source: Flight International
