ASL buys out aircraft maintenance business

Irish airline group takes full control of Belgium’s X-air Services

Dublin based ASL Aviation Holdings has bought out its partner in aircraft maintenance specialist, X-air Services. Photograph: iStock
Dublin based ASL Aviation Holdings has bought out its partner in aircraft maintenance specialist, X-air Services. Photograph: iStock

ASL Aviation Holdings has bought out Belgian aircraft maintenance business, X-air Services, the Irish airline group confirmed on Tuesday.

Dublin-based ASL jointly owned X-air with Sabena Techniks. The Irish carrier confirmed that it has bought out its partner’s 50 per cent share, giving it full control.

X-air’s biggest customer is ASL Airlines Belgium, while the group’s Irish, French and other European carriers also use the Liège and Brussels-based maintenance specialist.

Colin Grant, ASL’s chief operating office, said the deal would secure the expertise that the group’s carriers needed to maintain their B737-400 freighter aircraft.

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“It will also deliver in-house maintenance to our growing fleet of Boeing 737-500 converted freighters,” he added.

Sabena Technics chief operating officer Philippe Delisle said the French company was delighted that X-air would continue growing as part of ASL.

ASL Aviation Holdings owns six airlines in Europe, South Africa and Asia, along with joint ventures FlySafair in South Africa and K-Mile Asia in Thailand.

The company’s customers include leading logistics businesses and passenger carriers.

Barry O'Halloran

Barry O'Halloran

Barry O’Halloran covers energy, construction, insolvency, and gaming and betting, among other areas