Hangar 8 and Gama Aviation to merge and become one of the world's top 5

The merged company will manage 144 aircraft and operate from 44 different locations in 15 countries across five continents. It will have a strong presence in North America, the UK, continental Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia as well as South America. It will offer a comprehensive service, operating and supporting aircraft from all major manufacturers and all classes of private jet aircraft.
Dustin Dryden, Chief Executive of Hangar8 said: "Hangar8 has achieved much in its short history but, in our highly regulated industry, success at all levels is now entirely driven by scale. Today our clients, many with ultra-long range aircraft, require their premier suppliers to be truly global too with the ability to supply a full range of private aviation services across the globe.
"This exciting combination of Hangar8 and Gama Aviation, to form Gama Aviation Plc in one step, delivers that. It does so in a way that organic growth and a series of smaller consolidations would perhaps take a decade or more to replicate. We believe Gama Aviation plc will provide a world class offering."
Marwan Khalek, Chief Executive of Gama Aviation (pictured right) said: "Over the last 30 years, Gama Aviation has grown steadily to become one of the major business aviation service providers in the world. However, through this merger we will be creating a true global leader and one that is uniquely positioned for accelerated future growth.
"The two businesses enjoy a complementary geographical coverage," he continued. "They have a good operational fit and have been pursuing similar growth strategies built on a profitable and robust business model. Bringing them together into Gama Aviation plc will create a business of significant scale and one with unparalleled breadth of geographical coverage and depth of capability and service."
Hangar8 operates primarily in Europe and Africa while Gama Aviation operates across Europe, the US, Far East and the Middle East. Gama Aviation has four AOCs, which when combined with Hangar8's AOCs, will provide global coverage.
Hangar 8 listed on the London Stock Exchange AIM in 2010 and has grown from 19 managed aircraft to 48. It has established Part 145 maintenance facilities in Oxford (UK) where it is headquartered, Abuja, Lagos (Nigeria) and Pointe-Noire (Republic of the Congo). The deal includes Aero-Medical which was launched in March 2012 by Hangar 8 following its acquisition of Star-Gate Aviation, an AOC holder in South Africa. Aero-Medical provides medical evacuation flights across the whole of Africa.
Gama Aviation was founded in 1983 by Marwan Khalek and Stephen Wright and currently employs over 600 people at 27 operating bases, across three continents. It manages 96 business aircraft across four AOCs and two operating approvals. Gama Aviation's global headquarters are at Farnborough Airport, UK with its American headquarters in Shelton, Connecticut. Its Middle East and North Africa headquarters are in Dubai, UAE and its Asian headquarters in Hong Kong.
The deal will be put before shareholders in January 2015 but "Irrevocable Undertakings" to vote in favour already give it an overwhelming majority.