ASL finalizes purchase of TNT air operations

The first ripples of the FedEx/TNT deal are about to be felt in Europe with ASL Aviation Group’s announcement today that it has completed the purchase of the airline operations of TNT Express, which includes Belgian subsidiary TNT Airways and Pan Air Líneas Aéreas, based in Spain. ASL also signed a multi-year service agreement to operate flights for the combined FedEx/TNT entity.

The deal between ASL and TNT was originally announced in February of this year as a consequence of the FedEx offer to purchase TNT. Under European Union rules, no company based outside the EU can operate a European airline. Last week, the FedEx offer to acquire TNT was declared unconditional.

Both of the purchased TNT carriers will be renamed – TNT Airways will become ASL Airlines Belgium and Pan Air Líneas Aéreas will be named ASL Airlines Spain. With the acquisition, the number of airlines owned by ASL has risen to nine. The deal also added 35 aircraft to ASL’s total fleet, which now includes more than 150 cargo and passenger aircraft.

So far, 580 workers from the former TNT airlines have switched over to ASL, raising the total number of employees in the ASL Group to 2,500. Headquartered in Dublin, ASL operates scheduled, ACMI and charter passenger and cargo flights for a range of global customers in Europe, Africa and Asia.

Under the agreement, TNT Airways’ facilities in Liège and Madrid will be maintained as the corporate offices of ASL Airlines Belgium and ASL Airlines Spain. “There will be no service interruption as ASL Aviation Group has immediately taken over the flights operated by TNT Airways and Pan Air Líneas Aéreas,” said ASL in a statement.