UK – Heli Air take over fixed-wing school and management of Booker airfield

UK – Heli Air take over fixed-wing school and management of Booker airfield

10-Apr-2014 Source: HeliHub.com

The owner of British helicopter operator Heli Air has branched out with the acquisition of Booker Aviation at Wycombe Air Park.  This brings with it both a fixed-wing training school and also the resposibility of running the airfield (probably better known as “Booker”) for its local authority owners, Wycombe District Council.

Booker Aviation posted the following on their Facebook page “Some of you will be aware that we have recently changed ownership with our parent company now being Helicopter Aircraft Holdings Ltd who also own HeliAir. As far as customers, students and staff are concerned it is very much business as usual and we are extremely optimistic about future investment and opportunities. Please do not hesitate to speak directly with David Phillips if you have any concerns.”.  

Back on 3rd April 2012, the company structure of Heli Air changed, and all the shareholders took shares in the same proportion in Helicopter Aircraft Holdings Ltd (HAHL), which then bought 100% of the shares in Heli Air Ltd – a statement in HAHL’s accounts said ” Helicopter Aircraft Holdings Ltd. acquired all of the shares in Heli Air Limited by means of a share swop, resulting in Heli Air Limited becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of Helicopter Aircraft Holdings Limited”.  At the time, the HeliHub.com team consulted a firm of accountants as to why a company would make such a move, and we were told that it is a common practice pending a Management Buy-Out or acquisition of another company.  The latter has now emerged as the reason.

Heli Air currently operate from nine bases – Wellesbourne, Booker, Denham, Silverstone, Fairoaks, Thruxton, Gloucestershire/Staverton, City Airport Manchester (aka Barton) and Cumbernauld.  The operation at Cumbernauld is run by Heli Air Scotland Ltd, which is 65% owned by HAHL.

Public access data shows that parent company HAHL is 70.4% owned by Charles Peel, and 25.1% by Managing Director Sean Brown.  A further nine shareholders hold the remaining 4.5%.

Booker Aviation is the result of a merger between Airways Flying Club and Wycombe Air Centre early in 2012.  The company offers full modular flight training packages from Private Pilots Licence, through structured hour building, Commercial Pilots Licence, Multi-Engine Piston Rating and Instrument Rating courses.

Jeremy Parkin – HeliHub.com

, , ,

Copyright © 2024 HeliHub

Website by Design Inc

Helihub logo

X