Florida Investment Firm Buys Into Successful Wichita MRO

AE Industrial Partners, LP (AEI), a U.S.-based private equity firm specializing in aerospace, defense & government services, space, power & utility services, and specialty industrial markets, has acquired a majority interest in Yingling Aviation, a provider of Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) and Fixed-Base Operator (FBO) services to customers in the U.S. business aviation and government sectors.

Yingling Aviation chairman and CEO Lynn Nichols and President Andrew Nichols will remain attached to the company. The transaction’s terms were not disclosed.

Founded in 1945 and headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, Yingling Aviation provides MRO and FBO services on Wichita’s Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (ICT). The company’s MRO services include airframe, engine, and avionics maintenance and upgrade, paint, interior, propeller sales and service, parts sales, and 24/7 FBO services and amenities. Yingling Aviation’s FAA/EASA-certified aircraft maintenance department performs comprehensive service, modifications, and repairs. All told, Yingling currently operates over three-hundred-thousand square-feet of office, shop, and hangar space and employs upwards of 180 individuals.

Aviation is one of six target markets in which AE Industrial Partners maintains investments and operations. In addition to Yingling Aviation, AE Industrial Partners holds interests in Alpine Air, Global Jet Capital, Landmark Aviation, Solairus Aviation, and StandardAero.

AEI senior partner Jon Nemo stated: “We have known Yingling Aviation and its owners for several years and are excited to be partnering with them to continue to build this leading platform serving the needs of business aircraft owners and operators. This investment represents the beginning of our strategic vision of creating a unique, independent platform of scale providing best-in-class services within this growing market.”

Former Yingling Aviation chairman and CEO Lynn Nichols remarked: “Yingling Aviation is a very well-recognized brand within the business aviation market and the Wichita community. Our partnership with AEI represents another key milestone in our growth story and we look forward to having a partner with their knowledge and operating experience in our market.”

Akerman & Co LLP served as legal advisor to AEI. Arn Mullins Unruh Kuhn & Wilson and Klenda Austerman served as legal advisors to Yingling Aviation.

FMI: www.yinglingaviation.com