The Carlyle Group has acquired ADB Safegate. The change of ownership, with its strong financial backing, will help ADB Safegateto achieve its growth goals. These are being pursued by helping airports handle more air traffic with their existing infrastructure through the integration of systems for the airfield, gate and tower.
Carlyle is one of the world’s biggest corporate private equity groups with a combined portfolio of about 170 investments that employ more than half a million people and generate annual revenues of more than $70 Bn.
“Air traffic is booming, rising at an estimated 5% annually, increasingly being driven by first-time flyers from emerging markets. This puts airport capacity under intense pressure. We believe airports can substantially increase their capacity through automation and integration of their existing airfield, tower and gate systems,” says Christian Onselaere, CEO, ADB Safegate . “This is the foundation of our strategy for growth, which Carlyle supports fully. They are committed to helping us hit our growth targets, both organically and through acquisitions.”
The strategy is already contributing to growth for ADB Safegate , which marks its 70th year in the aviation industry since its formation in 1947. The company is winning major contracts globally for its products and services to help airports improve efficiency, cut costs and maintain safety across their operations. Recent important deals include an advanced docking guidance and apron management project for King Khalid International Airport (KKIA) in Saudi Arabia, airfield lighting and automated aircraft docking solutions for Calgary International Airport in Canada, and the maintenance of Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport’s airfield ground lighting systems supplied by ADB Safegate .
Deploying and integrating airfield, tower and gate systems supports the highest operational efficiency to minimize aircraft time on the ground. ADB Safegate is launching several innovative products and technologies in the coming months to further develop this approach. The aim is to increase airport capacity using existing airport infrastructure, while also maintaining the highest level of safety. At every stage of the process, integrated systems can achieve time savings for aircraft, as well as improve the efficiency of airport resources to create cost reductions for airports and airlines.
