The group that owns Southampton and other regional airports is likely to be sold to a German based airport company in a £1.53bn deal.
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Macquarie and Ferrovial, owners of AGS Airports which operates Southampton (actually based in Eastleigh) Aberdeen and Glasgow airports, have reached agreement to sell the group to German-based airport operator AviAlliance
The deal is expected to be completed by the end of March 2025, subject to regulatory approvals, and reportedly (here and here) includes taking on debts.
AviAlliance is a wholly-owned subsidiary of PSP, one of Canada’s largest pension investment managers.
AGS Airports was created as a joint venture between Macquarie and Ferrovial in 2014, after they acquired Glasgow, Aberdeen, and Southampton airports from Heathrow Airport Holdings, which had been required by the Competition Commission to sell regional assets.
Martin Bradley, head of infrastructure for Macquarie Asset Management in EMEA, said AGS were pleased to be “passing the baton to AviAlliance to unlock the next phase of growth”.
AviAlliance said in a statement it will “leverage its extensive global airport expertise to responsibly develop AGS Airports, enhancing air connectivity, improve the passenger experience, and support local communities”.
A controversial £17 million runway extension at Southampton Airport opened in 2024, which the airport said secured “the airport’s future contribution to local communities and businesses across the South East and importantly allowing for the airport to be able to operate larger aircraft and diversify its airline base”.