A new Canadian aviation company, Centerline Airport Partners, has made its first purchase, in northern Italy, and plans to invest in other underused airports around the world.
In an interview, Centerline CEO Andrew O’Brian, 54, said the airport is small and losing money but has a lot of potential because the large international airports within a couple of hours by train or car from Parma are “saturated.” “The airport has had great difficulties for many years,” Mr. O’Brian said. “What it needs to thrive is an injection of capital and the experience of our team. Parma is a diamond in the rough. We have a big catchment area here.”
Centerline is raising US$50-million to US$100-million in its first financing round to build and buy airports.