Data: Significant helicopter private equity investments
Heli Investor tracks all significant helicopter company financial transactions including investments into helicopter operators and service providers. The main trend since 2005 has been one of private equity backed companies buying up other operators. This is most noticeable with Spain's Inaer which has acquired six sizeable operators in the last three years.
Helicopter Investor tracks all significant helicopter company financial transactions including investments into helicopter operators and service providers. The main trend since 2005 has been one of private equity backed companies buying up other operators. This is most noticeable with Spain’s Inaer which has acquired six sizeable operators in the last three years.
HeliInvestor tracks all significant helicopter company financial transactions including investments into helicopter operators and service providers. The main trend since 2005 has been one of private equity backed companies buying up other operators. This is most noticeable with Spain’s Inaer which has acquired six sizeable operators in the last three years.
Reiten & Co, which invested in Norway’s Blueway is reported to be considering selling its stake.
Deals we consider to be landmark are shown in bold.
| Target | Country | Buyer | Notes | Investment | Company value | Date |
| Waypoint Leasing | Ireland | MSD Capital, Soros Fund Management and Cartesian Capital Group | Helicopter leasing | $375m | ||
| CHC Helicopter | Canada | First Reserve | Secondary investment | $100 million | 29 Sep 2011 | |
| Rotorcraft | US | Sankaty Advisors | Sankaty is a fixed income and credit manager, not private quity | 15 Sep 2011 | ||
| Lobo Leasing | US | Perella Weinberg Partnersʼ Asset Based Value strategy fund | Fund does not consider itself to be private equity. | Undisclosed | 2 June, 2011 | |
| Bond Aviation Group | UK | Inaer (KKR/InvestIndustrial) | £300 million | ($446.1 million). | 2 May, 2011 | |
| Milestone | Ireland | The Jordan Company (lead), Nautic Partners | Helicopter leasing company | $500 million | ||
| Air Medical Group Holdings | US | Bain Capital | EMS operator | 22 Oct 2010 | ||
| Eagle Med | US | Air Medical Group | ||||
| DanCopter | Denmark | Blueway (Reiten & Co) | Undisclosed | 9 July, 2008 | ||
| Inaer | Spain | KKR | Secondary buyout with KKR getting 49.9% stake | Eu350 | Eu 700 | 28, April 2010 |
| Proteus | France | Inaer (InvestIndust) | 100% owned by Elilario | Undisclosed | March 2008 | |
| Amuk | UK | Inaer (InvestIndust) | Undisclosed | 2008 | ||
| Elilario | Italy | Inaer (InvestIndust) | Operated 30 twin-engine helicopters in offshore, firefighting and EMS roles. | Undisclosed | March 2008 | |
| Cegisa | Spain | Inaer (InvestIndust) | leading Spanish fixed wings firefighting operator | 2008 | ||
| CHC Helicopter | Canada | First Reserve | largest-ever oilfield services buyout | C$3.7 bn | 22 Feb, 2008 | |
| British International Helicopter Services | UK | Matrix (lead), Finance Cornwall and Chrysalis VCT | Secondary buyout acquired from 3i. Debt and asset finance provided by Bank of Scotland Corporate. | £5 million | £20 million | 2006 |
| Vertech Offshore | Norway | Blueway (Reiten & Co) | Acquired 60% | 2008 | ||
| Airlift Group (now Blueway) | Reiten & Co | Acquired 60%, Transportation Group (38%) and Skogstad (2%) | Nov 1 2006 | |||
| Elilario | Italy | Axa Private Equity was mezz investor.Exited in July 2010 bafter KKR acquistion | 2007 | |||
| Inaer | Spain | Investindustrial | Acquired 75% | Eu205 | 13 Jan, 2006 | |
| Industrial Helicopters | US | Rotorcraft Leasing Company, L.L.C (H.I.G. Capital) | 30 Jan, 2006 | |||
| MD Helicopters | US | Patriarch Partners LLC | ||||
| Rotorcraft Leasing Company | US | H.I.G. Capital | 25 Aug, 2005 | |||
| Air Evac Lifeteam | US | Brockway, Moran & Partners and Meridian Venture Partners | Became Air Medical Holdings | 06 July 2004 |
Source: Corporate Jet Investor/Helicopter Investor September 2011
