Trans Aero acquired by Fundamental Advisors

Aviation operator Trans Aero, which provides a range of fire suppression, medical evacuation (medevac), and utility services, has been acquired by Fundamental Advisors.

The asset manager, which focuses on municipal, public purpose, and community assets, will acquire all 11 of Trans Aero’s helicopters – including two Sikorsky Black Hawks, two Bell 205A-1s, and seven AS350 B3 A-Stars.

Trans Aero’s fleet is used by the company to deliver on a range of contracts with municipal and government agencies, hospital clients, and communities across the USA.

Fundamental Advisors stated that it expected the new aircraft to “meaningfully expand [its] public service helicopter investment strategy and advance the firm’s efforts to provide essential services and promote public safety through aviation”.

Growing Trans Aero’s operations

“We are thrilled to be joining forces with the team at Fundamental,” said Kevin Shields, President of Trans Aero. “We are proud of our accomplishments over the last several decades and are incredibly fortunate to have found a partner in Fundamental that not only appreciates our values, but also provides the expertise, scale and resources to further expand our operations. We look forward to continuing to serve our valued customers while also growing our operations for years to come alongside our new partners.”

Ryan Keane, Senior Managing Director at Fundamental Advisors, added: “Following the launch of our helicopter investment strategy and initial investment in HeloAir earlier this year, we look forward to leveraging our resources to support Kevin and the Trans Aero team.”

Fundamental Advisors acquired Virginia-based operator HeloAir in January.

“The aviation utility services market remains incredibly fragmented, and we’re confident Trans Aero will be positioned to continue growing market share and solidifying its position as a leading provider of essential aviation services nationwide,” Keane concluded.

DroneSense, a producer of software solutions for public safety drone-as-first-responder programs, was recently acquired by Canadian firm Versaterm.