Analysis: tie-up with Swissport the sensible next step for WFS

Just a couple of months after Swissport’s IPO was postponed, it is easier now to speculate that a deal between France’s Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) and its Swiss rival could be facilitated by private equity as soon as next year, and that a merger could be the endgame here.

In fact, it has been industry speculation for more than six months now. But this latest sale, of WFS to Cerberus, confirmed on Monday, remains subject to regulatory clearance and customary closing conditions.