Safran finalises acquisition of Collins flight controls business
The acquired business employs approximately 4,000 people across eight main facilities in Europe (UK, Italy and France) and Asia, and has activities in Poland, USA and India.
French engine and aircraft equipment maker Safran has announced the closing of the acquisition of Collins Aerospace’s flight control and actuation activities.
The acquired business employs approximately 4,000 people across eight main facilities in Europe (UK, Italy and France) and Asia, and has activities in Poland, USA and India. Flight control and actuation systems from Collins are integrated on board 180 platforms, and generated revenue of around USD 1.55 billion in 2024 and an EBITDA of about USD 130 million. This business will be consolidated from August 1, 2025 within Safran Electronics & Defense, according to a media release.
“This acquisition offers a unique opportunity to solidify our position in mission critical flight control and actuation functions and create a global leader in this domain. It will enable us to deliver a comprehensive offering to our customers and position us extremely well for next-generation aircraft,” said Olivier Andriès, CEO of Safran. “This business fits perfectly with both our product portfolio and our DNA with a high technology content, recurring aftermarket sales and profitable growth.”
In order to meet the decarbonization ambition of the industry, the next generation of single-aisle aircraft will have disruptive architecture features and be increasingly electrified requiring a breakthrough in flight control and actuation systems. The combination of Collins’ hydraulic and mechanical actuation capabilities with Safran’s know-how in electro-mechanical actuation and electronics will enable the Group to meet this challenge, the media release said.
This acquisition also brings added complementarity for Safran in helicopter and nacelle actuation. In the defense segment, Safran is enhancing its offer in actuation and flight control solutions for military aircraft and missiles, reinforcing the growth of its sovereignty activities.
The enterprise value of the acquired business amounts to USD 1.8 billion, with an accretive impact on Safran earnings per share from year one. The transaction is expected to generate approximately USD 50 million of annual pre-tax run-rate cost synergies by 2028, the media release said.
In order to respect the regulatory requirements, Safran has simultaneously completed the sale of its North American electro-mechanical actuation business, with approximately USD 65 million of sales in 2024, to Woodward, Inc.
