DUTCH ENGINEERING group Stork has sealed its acquisition of the Fokker Aviation business, which groups together the profitable support and components-manufacturing operations which escaped the Fokker bankruptcy in February.
The acquisition does not have a direct bearing on the fate of the bankrupt assembly business, but Fokker Aviation says that Stork is contractually bound to provide "maximum possible support" if aircraft manufacture is restarted. Stork paid close to DFl303 million ($177 million) for the business, including the take-over of a Dfl80 million loan.
The business employs 2,400 and is expected to turn in sales of around DFl600 million in 1996, rising to DFl800 million over the next couple of years.
Around 25-30% of sales already comes from maintenance, repair and modification for the in-service Fokker aircraft fleet, and this is expected to grow over the next decade as the fleet ages.
Source: Flight International
