Air Partner has acquired the entire issued share capital of Redline Worldwide, trading as Redline Assured Security, a Sheffield-based global aviation security solutions and training company. The total consideration payable by Air Partner is up to £10m and the acquisition is expected to be earnings enhancing in its first full year of ownership. The consideration is being funded from the company's existing cash and debt facilities and the issue of new ordinary shares to the operational management shareholders of Redline.

Redline is is the UK's only ICAO Aviation Security Training Centre, and its proprietary software and e-learning capabilities offer significant growth opportunities while furthering Air Partner's relationships with airports, airlines, governments and corporates around the world. The acquisition extends the Group's suite of aviation services within its consulting and training division, which will now be called Air Partner Safety and Security, and adds new capabilities, customers, geographies and management bandwidth, while unifying the safety and security functions.

Redline co-founder and CEO Paul Mason will join the Air Partner group executive team, reporting directly to CEO Mark Briffa. Mason, who has been in the aviation industry for over 30 years and specialises in security consulting and training, has been appointed managing director of the safety and security division, with responsibility for all the enlarged group's activities in these areas. He will work alongside Kevin Macnaughton, managing director of Air Partner's charter division, and the wider executive management team.

Post acquisition and integration, Redline will be rebranded as Air Partner Assured Security.

Briffa comments: “Redline has a world class reputation in the aviation sector for delivering first class security training and solutions to an international customer base. I am delighted to welcome Paul, Redline's employees, associates and customers to the Air Partner group. Redline is a significant milestone in the development of our new safety and security division.

“This is a further progression of Air Partner's long-term corporate strategy and the next step in the transformational journey we began in 2015. Our objective remains to improve both the quality and visibility of our group earnings over time, which we believe will be achieved by focusing on our customers and our people, while investing in products, services and office infrastructure as we manage the business for the long term.”

Mason adds: “This creates a unique and highly capable safety and security business that operates on the global stage, providing an exciting range of products and services to some of the world's most prominent businesses and organisations.

Assuring safety and security is the priority of all our customers, and it's a business purpose that both companies share, making the combination both compelling and necessary. I am delighted that Redline will become Air Partner Assured Security early in 2020 as we work to bring safety and security together into one combined function, able to provide the holistic solutions our customers need and the future will demand.”