M&A

Nayak buys Portugal's LAS to expand line-maintenance grip in southern Europe

What's the deal? Nayak Aircraft ServicesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Europe's largest aircraft maintenance group, has acquired Portugal's LASDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, a maintenance and training business that posted €10 million in revenue in 2025. The German-origin buyer takes control of a group spanning three companies — LAS MaintenanceDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, LAS TrainingDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, and SLOT-Human ResourcesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →. The deal value and the stake acquired were not disclosed.

Who's involved? LAS was founded in 1995 by João Louro, a former Air ColumbusDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → technician who remains a shareholder and chief executive officer. It employs more than 100 people and operates at Portugal's five main airports: Lisbon, Porto, Faro, Ponta Delgada, and Funchal.

Its client list includes TAPDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, KLM, Emirates, Air Canada, United Airlines, and cargo carrier DHL — more than 50 airlines in total. EasyJetDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has been a customer since it started flying in Portugal in 1998.

Why now? The acquisition follows repeated approaches from international groups over recent years. Nayak itself had tried and failed to buy LAS before, in a market it once competed in directly.

What's the endgame? Nayak runs more than 60 stations in Europe and serves over 240 airlines. Buying LAS strengthens its European independent line-maintenance network and deepens its footprint in southern Europe.

For Louro, alignment mattered more than price. "In choosing Nayak, it was important to secure a partner aligned on the relationship with employees, with clients, and on the vision for the company's future," he said (translated from Portuguese).

What changes? Little, for now. LAS keeps its brand, and Portugal remains the base of its operational structure and management team. The company says it has grown double digits annually since the Covid-19 pandemic.

The signal: Marco Smit, Nayak's chief executive officer, called the deal "a significant milestone" in the group's growth strategy. Consolidation continues to reshape a specialised market dominated by large international players — with a former rival now folded into the continent's biggest maintenance network.

Read more: jornaleconomico.sapo.pt

Image credit: DeltaNewsHub

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