Menzies Aviation is extending its American network to Jamaica by acquiring a majority stake in AJAS Limited.
The privately owned ground and cargo handling company has operated in Jamaica for over 82 years, employs almost 600 staff and provides ramp, passenger and cargo handling services to several international airlines at Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston and Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay.
Following the acquisition, AJAS Limited will be rebranded as Menzies AJAS, bringing it in line with other companies in the Menzies Group and the current management team will stay in place.
John Redmond, Executive Vice President Americas of Menzies Aviation, said: “The Menzies AJAS combination brings together local knowledge, relationships and expertise, which will strengthen our position in this market. We look forward to working with the AJAS team to grow the business under the Menzies brand.”
Howard Mitchell, Chairman of AJAS, said: “We have a shared vision with Menzies and are aligned on the value of our employees and how we look after them, which in turn maximizes the service they provide as well as the return to our stakeholders.”
The transaction is expected to close in a matter of weeks, subject to regulatory approval, and the rebranding and integration into Menzies’ global network will begin this month.

Peruvian company Talma, from Grupo Sandoval, has acquired Servicios Aéreos Integrados (SAI), a Colombian company owned by Avianca.
SAI operates in the Colombian airports of Bogotá, Medellín, Cali, Cartagena, Armenia, Barranquilla, Bucaramanga, Montería, Ibagué, Neiva, Pereira and Pasto, in which they mainly provide ground assistance services, passenger service and baggage clearance.
The transaction was made through TSA Investments Inc. S.A., a holding company based in Peru and is Talma’s second acquisition in Colombia as in 2019, they bought LASA, an airport services company based in Medellín.
Arturo Cassinelli, Corporate General Manager of Talma, said: “This acquisition is part of the regional expansion plan that started in 2010 with the entry into the Mexican market and continued with the acquisition of a ramp services company in Ecuador in 2017. Today, the company specialising in airport services and air logistics, operates in Peru, Colombia, Ecuador and Mexico, becoming the largest airport services company in Latin America.”