VINCI to acquire majority shareholding in Edinburgh Airport

VINCI Airports is to acquire a 50.01% shareholding in the company owning Edinburgh Airport, the French operator has revealed, with the majority stake worth around £1.27bn ($1.58bn). The acquisition, expected to be completed in summer 2024, will take VINCI’s total number of UK airports to six. Edinburgh Airport Limited will transfer its 50.01% stake to the VINCI Concessions subsidiary following the receipt of regulatory approvals, while the remaining 49.99% stake will continue to be managed by Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), which has owned the airport since 2012. The freehold airport is described by VINCI as a ‘particularly valuable addition to VINCI Airports’ portfolio, which has a long-term approach to investing in and operating assets’. The sixth largest airport in the UK, Edinburgh Airport currently serves over 150 destinations in 38 countries and reported a total revenue of £272 million ($339 million) with an EBITDA margin of 65% in 2023. VINCI Airports and GIP have worked together since 2019, when the former acquired a majority share in London’s Gatwick airport. VINCI Airports also became the majority shareholder of Belfast International airport in 2018.