AVIAA, the international group purchasing organization for business aviation, is adding over 150 new aircraft to their membership with the announcement on January 28, that it has reached an agreement with Europe's smart purchasing business Convolus to merge their operations.
The move will see AVIAA widen its footprint in Europe with the establishment of an office in Munich, Germany, complementing its existing bases in the UK and US.
Irena Deville, co-founder and CEO of Convolus, becomes Managing Director – Europe and Middle East for AVIAA, and she will work alongside California-based CEO Gillian Hayes and her team.
After the acquisition formally concludes this month, the AVIAA community will support a member fleet of nearly 500 aircraft and a network of suppliers with global operations across every spend category, including a robust international FBO network.
Existing Convolus members will be seamlessly integrated into the AVIAA community. In addition to the increased buying power the fleet merger will afford them, they will also be able to accrue further cost savings in the AVIAA supply chain, which covers expanded service categories, including insurance, maintenance, fuel, business operations, and crew training.
AVIAA's predominately US-based members will be able to draw benefits and savings from the enlarged group's 100-strong European FBO network, from large multi-destination handlers to stand-alone individual FBOs.