Vista Global Holding (Booth M91) arrives at EBACE 2022 on the heels of major acquisitions in Europe (Air Hamburg in February) and the U.S. (Jet Edge in March). The moves are the latest in a two-year string of roll-ups engineered to further the Dubai company’s goal of “providing the most comprehensive range of flying solutions in private aviation,” said Vista founder and chairman Thomas Flohr. Terms of the transactions were not disclosed.
The jets the two charter-management companies operate will augment the owned and operated charter fleets of Vista brands VistaJet, headquartered in Malta, and U.S.-based XO. Once the Air Hamburg and Jet Edge acquisitions close, these additions will bring Vista’s global fleet to some 350 aircraft, predominantly super-midsize, large-cabin, and ultra-long-range business jets.
Germany’s Air Hamburg—Europe’s largest private jet operator by volume of flights with more than 18,000 in 2021—has 44 aircraft under management. That includes a Dassault Falcon 7X, Embraer Legacy aircraft, and a Lineage 1000.
Vista expects operations at Air Hamburg, with some 650 employees, to add an estimated 30 percent to its annual flight activity. Last year, the German operators clocked imore than 35,000 flight hours.
Additionally, Air Hamburg’s EASA Part 145 maintenance hub at Baden Baden Airpark will add to Vista’s support infrastructure in Europe, as will the company’s executive handling division and VIP lounge at Hamburg Airport, which will be available for Vista members’ use.
Jet Edge, based in the central U.S., operates a managed fleet composed primarily of Bombardier Challengers and Gulfstreams that logs more than 60,000 flight hours annually. Further, Jet Edge has what it claims to be the largest charter fleet of Gulfstream jets in the U.S.
The U.S. charter provider has grown aggressively since the beginning of last year, propelled by $265 million in funding from equity investment firm KKR. Twenty additional…