STS Acquires Canadian Interiors MRO

Following a string of buyouts over the past two years, STS Aviation Group has continued this strategy into the new year by acquiring Canadian interiors MRO specialist Airbase Services.

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed but U.S.-based STS confirmed that it would take control of Airbase personnel and operations with immediate effect--marking its foray into Canada’s aftermarket.

Airbase is headquartered in Montreal but operates four Canadian regulator-approved facilities across the country at airports in Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg and Vancouver.

It covers a diverse range of interior component repair offerings, including electrical parts services, aircraft seat maintenance, cargo and catering equipment repairs, and inventory management.

Lena Watters, who was the acting president of Airbase prior to STS’s acquisition, will stay on as president alongside much of the company’s existing workforce. In a statement released Monday (Jan. 6), Watters said of the deal: “The acquisition of Airbase by STS unlocks the potential for our team to globally grow its customer base while also being able to build a stronger presence in Canada.”

Mark Smith, president of STS Aviation Group, says the acquisition of Airbase’s services will complement its existing aircraft interior offering in Shannon, Ireland, where it operates as STS Technical Services.

STS Aviation has had a busy 12 months of acquisitions. In March of last year, it acquired Triumph Aviation Services’ NAAS Division--a provider of line maintenance with specialties in fuel systems maintenance, leak detection and bladder cell repair.

In the later part of 2019, it also acquired UK-based MRO Apple Aviation, which operates an MRO facility in Newquay in the south west of England, and the Birmingham maintenance hangar formerly operated by defunct British MRO Monarch Aircraft Engineering.

James Pozzi

As Aviation Week's MRO Editor EMEA, James Pozzi covers the latest industry news from the European region and beyond. He also writes in-depth features on the commercial aftermarket for Inside MRO.