Tulsa’s Omni Air International is being sold for $845 million to an Ohio based air freight company that is a major flyer of parcels for Amazon.com Inc.
Air Transport Services Group Inc., based in Wilmington, Ohio said it could expand its e-commerce business more rapidly after acquiring Omni, the airline that is the Pentagon’s largest trooper carrier. It is a cash deal and ATSG will not assume any debt in connection with the acquisition.
Omni Air is a leading provider of passenger airlift services to the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) via the Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF) program, and a worldwide provider of full-service passenger charter and ACMI services.
Omni Air also carries passengers worldwide for a variety of private sector customers and government services firms. Omni Air, founded in 1993, is an FAR Part 121 certificated and IATA Operational Safety Audit registered airline.
The combination with Omni Air is anticipated to add over $430 million in annualized revenues to ATSG.
The acquisition of Omni Air will further diversify ATSG’s customer base, add significant presence in the growing government passenger charter services market, add 13 aircraft to ATSG’s fleet, and broaden the ATSG carriers’ operating capabilities to include three Boeing 777-200 extended range (ER) aircraft.
The transaction will further ATSG’s strategic goals by adding growth opportunities with long-time and blue-chip customers, and by positioning it to meet customers’ global cargo needs with the longer-range 777 platform. The strong recurring cash flows from Omni Air’s operations augment the sustainable cash flow generated by ATSG’s dry leasing business model.
Omni Air’s fleet, which includes seven 767-300ER, three 767-200ER and three 777-200ER aircraft, complements ATSG’s industry leading fleet of Boeing 737, 757, and 767 aircraft, and further solidifies its position as the world’s largest source of dedicated 767 cargo aircraft to selected air-express and other operators. Eleven of the thirteen aircraft Omni Air operates are owned, with one 767-200ER and one 767-300ER leased. In total, the ATSG companies will have a combined fleet of more than 90 aircraft in service by year-end.
Joe Hete, President and Chief Executive Officer of ATSG, said, “Combining ATSG and Omni Air’s operating expertise and array of aircraft options fulfills several of our principal goals – to broaden ATSG’s ACMI capabilities; grow and diversify our revenue streams with government and commercial customers; and reach new global markets with our full range of leasing, operating, and aircraft maintenance capabilities. We look forward to working with Omni’s excellent management team to pursue new growth opportunities, including serving the expanding global e-commerce demand.”
Jeff Crippen, President and Chief Executive Officer of Omni Air, welcomed the acquisition, noting the two companies’ complementary cultures and a strong strategic fit.
“We have tremendous respect for the ATSG team,” Crippen said. “Combining Omni Air and ATSG’s experience and skillsets unquestionably makes for a stronger company that can better serve its customers worldwide.”
Omni Air will operate as a separate subsidiary within ATSG under Jeff Crippen’s leadership from its existing Tulsa, Oklahoma, headquarters. An invitation has been extended to Rob Coretz, chairman, co-founder, and former CEO of Omni Air, to join ATSG’s board.