Pinsent Masons advises AENA on €309M UK airports deal

Pinsent Masons in the UK and Spain has advised Aena on the acquisition of a 51% stake in a new holding company that owns and manages 100% of Leeds Bradford Airport and 49% of Newcastle Airport, in a transaction valued at £270 million (approximately €309 million).

With this deal, Aena strengthens its presence in the United Kingdom, where it already manages London Luton Airport with a 51% stake. Leeds Bradford and Newcastle airports handled around 9.5 million passengers last year, which, combined with Luton’s 17 million passengers, brings Aena’s total UK traffic to approximately 26.5 million passengers. InfraBridge, which is the seller, will hold 49% of the new holding company and is also the owner of the other 49% of Luton Airport, consolidates itself as Aena’s strategic partner in the United Kingdom with this transaction.

The transaction is subject to the usual conditions for its finalisation, including all regulatory approvals. It is expected that it shall be completed in the second quarter of 2026.

The Pinsent Masons team included lawyers from the UK and Spain. The deal was led by partner Gareth Hughes, with a core team comprising partner Antonio Sánchez Montero, Jennifer White, Monica Kochar, Philip Moon and Koldo González Morán (corporate, acquisition); Richard Thomas and Jen Lee (equity); Peter Morley and Hayley Stevenson (tax); Cameron McCulloch and Lewis Mackay (pensions); and Ian Hastings (competition).

In the picture from left to right, Gareth Hughes and Antonio Sánchez Montero.