West Star Aviation, a Portfolio Company of The Sterling Group, Acquires Jet East, a Gama Aviation Company

West Star Aviation (West Star), a portfolio company of The Sterling Group, announces it has acquired Jet East. West Star is a provider of maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services to the business-aviation industry, providing maintenance, modification and other services to aviation customers. Jet East provides MRO services, as well, and focuses on supporting fractional and managed fleet operators.

Capabilities of Jet East include an expansive aircraft-on-ground (AOG) mobile repair technician network, line-maintenance operations, heavy-maintenance facilities, and other complementary services.

“I’m extremely happy to welcome the Jet East employees to West Star. Both West Star and Jet East are remarkable companies with strong and unique cultures,” says Jim Rankin, CEO of West Star Aviation. “I’m looking forward to bringing the Jet East and West Star teams together as we build the premier business-aviation maintenance provider in the industry. Our focus now is to use this combination to better serve our customers and support our employees.”

“I am thrilled about this new chapter for the combined company of West Star and Jet East,” says Stephen Maiden, CEO of Jet East. "With the official close, we are provided a unique opportunity to enhance our capabilities and expand our offerings to better serve the needs of the aviation industry. As we turn our attention toward the exciting task of strategic integration, we remain committed to our customers, so there is no disruption to the service that we provide. I am proud of what has been accomplished and excited about the future."

“We were thrilled to help play a part in bringing together these two world-class teams to combine complementary capabilities, geographies and customer bases. We couldn't be more excited in welcoming the entire Jet East family to West Star,” adds Greg Elliott and John Griffin, board members of West Star Aviation.

Customers and vendors should expect no change while leaders of each organization work together on longer-term integration planning.

Latham & Watkins LLP served as legal counsel, and Jefferies, LLC served as a financial advisor to West Star.

For more information, visit weststaraviation.com.