Jet Membership, Charter and Fuel Management Business Units Included
Agreement Will Separate Sentient Jet Holdings Into Two Standalone Companies
Former Sentient CEO, Steven Hankin, To Lead New, Macquarie-Owned Company, which will retain the Sentient brand name
WEYMOUTH, MASS, August 13, 2008 - Sentient Jet Holdings announced today it is separating into two standalone companies. The aircraft management and charter operations, technical services and FBO business units will form one company and the jet membership, retail charter brokerage and fuel management business units will form the second company. As part of the split, Macquarie Global Opportunities Partners (MGOP) has entered into an agreement to acquire the jet membership, retail charter brokerage and fuel management businesses, which will retain the Sentient brand name. The transaction is expected to close in late August. Terms were not disclosed.
MGOP will establish a new company for the acquired business units which will be led by Steven Hankin, the former CEO of Sentient Jet Holdings. "After reviewing a range of strategic alternatives, we are confident that partnering with MGOP and Macquarie, a world-class investment firm with significant experience across the aviation sector and access to capital, is a natural fit,� said Hankin. �With the sponsorship of Macquarie Global Opportunities Partners, this new company will be well capitalized and well positioned to continue building industry-leading jet membership, retail charter brokerage and fuel management programs under the Sentient brand."
Sentient Jet Membership currently has nearly 3,500 active members and continues to be the most flexible approach to private jet travel available in the market today. The Sentient fuel management business is a leading national volume aggregator and full service fuel management program for aircraft owners and operators and the Sentient retail charter brokerage business has rapidly emerged as one of the largest retail charter brokerage programs in the country.
Michael Cook, Senior Managing Director of MGOP, said, "We are excited to be acquiring Sentient's jet membership, retail charter brokerage and fuel management company. Each of these business units has a strong track record of profitable growth. We are confident that the experienced management team and employees within these businesses, led by former Sentient CEO Steven Hankin, will be ideally positioned to manage the new company going forward. Under our ownership, Sentient will continue its focus on quality, safety and exceptional service as well as leveraging its proprietary systems that make it a leader in its industry."
Sentient Jet Holdings has previously announced the combination of all Aircraft Management and Charter Operations into a single Division with industry veteran Jake Cartwright serving as President and CEO. This division will be rebranded upon closing. When the planned consolidation of operating certificates is completed in November 2008, there will be nearly 300 aircraft under management, more than 200 of which will be available for charter. The two companies will continue to work together in number of areas, including access to charter flights for Sentient Membership and Charter clientele and the Sentient fuel business will provide comprehensive fuel management and purchasing programs for the Aircraft Management Division.
About Sentient Jet Holdings
Sentient Jet Holdings is a leading national provider of private aviation services for clients across the country and includes Sentient Flight Group, Inc., an FAR Part 135 air carrier, Sentient Jet, Inc., which operates the Sentient Jet Membership Program, as well as other operating subsidiaries. Importantly, the core FAR Part 135 Operating Certificate is setting a new standard for charter operations as it is the only Part 135 certificate with an FAA-accepted Safety Management System (SMS) and Air Transport Oversight System (ATOS) incorporated into an advanced manual system, bringing its safety program in line with those required of FAR Part 121 scheduled commercial airlines. Investors include CD Ventures, ABS Capital Partners, AIG, Argosy Capital, Brantley Partners and HSBC. More information is available at www.sentientflight.com and www.sentient.com.
About Macquarie Global Opportunities Partners
Macquarie Global Opportunities Partners (MGOP) is an unlisted fund focused on making private equity investments in privileged cash flow businesses globally. Established in 2007, MGOP is managed by a subsidiary of the Macquarie Group (Macquarie).
Macquarie is a global provider of banking, financial, advisory, investment and funds management services. Macquarie's main business focus is making returns by providing a diversified range of services to clients, acting on behalf of institutional, corporate and retail clients and counterparties around the world. Macquarie Group Limited is listed in Australia (ASX: MQG) with total assets under management of $212 billion.
Through funds that it manages on behalf of investors or as principal, Macquarie is an experienced investor in a wide range of specialist essential service asset classes around the world including aviation, transportation, ports, utilities, infrastructure services, media and telecommunications.
Macquarie has significant experience managing and/or owning investments in the aviation industry including Fixed-Base Operations (FBOs), airports, aircraft leasing and jet engine leasing.
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