Citadel Aviation, a Lake Charles, Louisiana-based provider of maintenance, modification and completions for VIP and elite aircraft, has entered a definitive agreement to acquire Mach 1 Aviation Group, an FAA Part 145 certificated repair station based in Savannah, Georgia. The deal, expected to close by the end of September, gives Citadel its first operating presence on the U.S. East Coast and adds dedicated aircraft-on-ground response capability to its service lineup. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Mach 1 was founded in 2020 by three former Gulfstream master technicians, Richard Bennett, Derek Johnston and Ben Venuti, and has built a reputation for rapid-response support on Gulfstream airframe, avionics and cabin systems. The company works from its Savannah base and serves Part 135 operators and Part 91 owners across the country, alongside offering pre-purchase inspection and aircraft registration consulting services.
Citadel Aviation Chief Executive Officer Greg Colgan said the acquisition pairs Mach 1's responsiveness with Citadel's broader maintenance, refurbishment and modification capabilities, giving Gulfstream owners access to a wider menu of services. After the transaction closes, Mach 1 will keep operating under its existing FAA certificate and will continue serving its current customers, with its Savannah site becoming an East Coast coordination point for Citadel's aircraft-on-ground response network.
The purchase extends a run of growth for Citadel, which rebranded from Citadel Completions early this year, opened a location at Dallas Love Field in March, and has completed 48 aircraft projects to date. Company leadership called Mach 1 its third major capability expansion in less than a year.
Source: PR Newswire -- https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/citadel-aviation-to-acquire-mach-1-aviation-group-establishing-broader-gulfstream-maintenance-capabilities-302884404.html