Regional & City Airports (RCA) – the airports management division of Rigby Group – has purchased Bournemouth Airport, marking its fourth regional UK airport acquisition. Its portfolio already includes Norwich, Exeter and Coventry airports.
The acquisition, which completed at an undisclosed sum, was made from Manchester Airports Group and furthers expands RCA’s network of passengers and commercial aviation facilities across the south of England. RCA also has contracts to operate Solent (formerly Daedalus Airfield), City of Derry and Blackpool airports.
Sir Peter Rigby, group chairman and founder, commented, “The acquisition of Bournemouth Airport represents an important landmark in our strategy to create a robust and credible group of regional airport assets and services across the UK. Not only does it expand our catchment to include the major regions of southern England, but also focuses operations on a core market poorly serviced by the major aviation players.”
Day-to-day management of the adjacent 200-acre Aviation Business Park will be handled by Rigby Real Estate, the parent group’s specialist property management division. Bournemouth Airport currently offers flights to 22 destinations across Europe, with 700,000 passengers using the airport in 2016.
Andrew Bell, RCA’s chief executive, added, “I am delighted to welcome everyone at Bournemouth Airport to our fast-growing team. It is already one of the south’s flagship aviation hubs, and I am very much looking forward to working with the staff and management as we continue to expand its operations and build on that success.”