TrustFlight has acquired Baines Simmons, Kenyon Emergency Services and Redline Assured Security from Wheels Up. The move creates what it calls an integrated partner offering training and regulatory expertise, aviation security, quality assurance and incident support. Together the group will serve around 1,600 aviation organisations worldwide.

“Safety in aviation is a lifecycle, not a point solution or set of vendors,” says Karl Steeves, CEO of TrustFlight. “By bringing together the strengths of these three companies with TrustFlight's software and data platform, we're building an operating system for safety that helps anticipate risks earlier, prove compliance continuously and recover faster when events occur.”

The businesses will keep existing management, brands and expertise. Current contracts remain unchanged, but customers will gain access to a wider portfolio under TrustFlight.

“Customers tell us compliance shouldn't be a reactive, last-minute exercise,” adds Richard Steeves, chairman of TrustFlight. “This combination gives every segment of aviation a single, integrated partner that makes safety proactive and continuous.”

Wheels Up received approximately $20 million in proceeds before expenses from the sale and says funds will go toward its fleet modernisation strategy and general corporate purposes. CEO George Mattson says: “The divestiture of these non-core services businesses is the latest in a series of steps that Wheels Up has taken to sharpen our strategic focus; invest in our product, fleet and operations; and strengthen our balance sheet.”