Aviation services company Air Partner PLC on Wednesday said it has secured a GBP6.0 million deal to acquire aviation safety consultant Baines Simmons Ltd.

Shares in Air Partner, which has a market capitalisation of 45 million pounds, were up 2.9 percent at 1306 GMT. The company specialises in aviation regulations, compliance and safety.

Air Partner added the acquisition will improve its product offering and services, as well as providing a boost to its broking division.

“What companies are being forced to do across Europe is to have increased levels of accountability (for safety)”, Air Partner director Justin Scarborough said.

Its civil and military clients include KLM, SAS, Thomas Cook, Thomson, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, The Isle of Man Government, BAE Systems, MoD, Rolls Royce, Royal Air Force, Royal Navy, Airbus, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and UK Military Aviation Authority (MAA).

The London-listed group said it expects the acquisition of the consultancy firm, which has over 750 aviation organisation and 40 aviation authorities on its books, to be earnings enhancing in its first 12 months of ownership. It will remain headquartered at Fairoaks Airport in Surrey.