Up & Away Aviation is acquired by Unifi Aviation LLC

Investment provides solid platform for growth into more UK markets.
Up & Away founder Stefan Murphy becomes MD of Unifi UK, as new parent pledges to expand its UK business activity to £100 million in next three years.
With the acquisition, Unifi, present at over 200 airports in the USA, gains a foothold in the executive aviation market.

Atlanta, GA and Oxford, UK. Up & Away Aviation, a leading supplier of aircraft cleaning and detailing services to commercial airline and private aviation clients, announced today (July 11) it has secured new ownership with Unifi Aviation. Unifi is the USA’s largest ground aviation services company, part of the Argenbright Group. The deal was signed by Up & Away founder and CEO Stefan Murphy and Unifi CEO Gautam Thakkar at the UK company’s London Oxford Airport UK HQ.

The agreement formalises as Up & Away prepares to open its 13^th base at London’s Gatwick Airport on 1^st August, having recently ramped up its personnel to 500-plus employees. Over 400 of them are dedicated to Up & Away Aviation Services’ airline activity.

Unifi, headquartered in Atlanta, GA is present at over 200+ US airports, offering a range of ground services from ticketing and ground handling to cabin cleaning and cargo.

Up & away is an ideal fit for Unifi as it looks to grow its UK business to more than £100 million in the region over the next three years.

While the Up & Away brand will remain, Stefan Murphy will become Unifi’s Managing Director in the UK. Ernie Patterson, Chairman of International Business for Argenbright Group, will provide additional oversight of Unifi’s UK aviation business, working with Up & Away’s team to broaden operations into more airports, including London Heathrow.

Addressing Up & Away’s management in Oxford, Ernie highlighted: “Up & Away brings exactly what Unifi was looking for – a personalised, intimate service offering to customers. It is excited to take that, harness it, help grow and expand the business, using the same culture and same, dedicated team.”

Realising synergy

Dialogue between the two companies first opened over six months ago.

Up & Away provides various aviation services, including cabin cleaning, de-icing, executive jet detailing, technical cleaning, and other adjacent aviation services. The business has grown exponentially under the leadership of Stefan Murphy. The business, originally focused on executive jet clientele, expanded into working with prolific airline customers in 2019 when a leading airline CEO (and business jet owner) asked the company to pitch for its airline cleaning business. Up & Away has not looked back.

Today, its operations span 13 UK airports, including London Stansted, Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle, Bristol and Belfast International, plus UK business aviation airports London Biggin Hill, Farnborough, London Oxford, where it supports a variety of business jets.

Gautam Thakkar, CEO, Unifi: “Up & Away has earned a strong reputation for exceptional services. We look forward to working with Stefan and his team as they join the Unifi family and build upon Up & Away’s track record. More than 224 million passengers travelled to and from airports in the UK in 2022, and we are confident that our knowledge and experience from operating in 200+ airports, including the world’s busiest, will allow Unifi to replicate its success in the UK and provide customers with an exceptional experience.”

Stefan Murphy, Founder & Managing Director, Up & Away: “I have been fortunate to build this company from the ground up. I look forward to this immensely exciting phase of growth and joining Unifi, a leading aviation services organisation, opens new doors. I want to thank George Rolls, our former Chairman, for his astute guidance and unwavering support through the formative years of the business and recent negotiations. I also want to thank all of Up & Away’s staff and customers for their loyalty and contributions, without which this exciting expansion would not be possible.”

Argenbright Group currently employs more than five thousand employees in the UK. This acquisition further strengthens the Argenbright Group’s investment in the UK and its people and is part of its strategic commitment to the region.

About Unifi

Unifi Aviation, LLC^® is the largest ground handling & aviation services company in North America, servicing more than two million flights annually. The company has stations in over 200 airports and provides a full range of services, including ground handling, passenger transport, security, cabin services, ground support equipment maintenance, and much more. Unifi is a part of the Argenbright Group and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information, visit unifiservice.com.

About Argenbright

The Argenbright Group is a privately held family of companies that provides tech-enabled solutions to various industries, including aviation services, facilities management, and commercial and government security. Argenbright Group was founded in 1979 by Atlanta-based entrepreneur Frank A. Argenbright, Jr., and has grown to a $1.4 billion global operation with presence across the U.S., Canada, the UK, and Europe. The Argenbright portfolio includes Velociti Services, Unifi Aviation, and Argenbright Security Europe Limited (ASEL) among others.

Media contacts

Swetha Sharma, Brand and Communications, Unifi

E: swetha.sharma@unifiservice.com

Alison Chambers, The Emerald Network

Alison.chambers@emeraldmedia.co.uk T: + 44 (0) 1420 560094

Paul Cremer

My name is Paul Cremer, and this marks my 42nd year working within the business and general aviation industry. Over this time, I’ve had the privilege of overseeing a diverse array of sector activities, ranging from aircraft charter and management to air ambulance services, ground operations, air traffic control, airport management, technology implementation, and the outsourcing services I currently manage.

In my role focused on delivering advisory, technology, and outsourcing services to aviation customers, I handle a wide spectrum of responsibilities. This includes overseeing International Trip Support, Operations Control Centre Services (OCC), Continuing Airworthiness Management Service (CAMO), Airworthiness Reviews, ARC Services, Aircraft Delivery and Re-delivery Support Services, Maintenance Coordination Services including AOG, Tech Ops (Maintenance Control Centre), and managing myairops software products. As the Head of Aviation Delivery, I lead the customer-facing delivery of Technology & Outsourcing products and services for the market, drawing upon a wealth of knowledge, expertise, and industry connections within Gama Aviation’s Technology and Outsourcing Strategic Business Unit.

My journey into Business and General Aviation began during my teenage years while still in school. I was fortunate enough to be welcomed into the industry, starting at a flying club, and later working at the Air Traffic Services Unit at Blackbushe Airport. There, I maintained the ATC Movement Logs in the Control Tower during weekends, solidifying my passion for aviation. Upon completing my schooling, I seized opportunities at Fairoaks Airport, where I began as Ground Crew while pursuing my Aerodrome Flight Information Service Officer’s license. Advancements in my career led me to the role of Air Traffic Services Manager.

Since joining Gama Aviation in 1996, I’ve held various positions, including Operations Manager (Post Holder), Operations & Commercial Manager, Commercial Manager, Operations Delivery Manager, Head of Business Aviation Delivery, and currently, Head of Aviation Delivery. This role encompasses Gama Aviation Group’s Gama Aviation, myairops, and FlyerTech companies.

In 2023, I was honoured to be invited to serve as the Chair of the Operations Working Group for the British Business & General Aviation Association. This opportunity allows me to contribute to industry initiatives within BBGA’s membership of nearly 200 industry companies, focusing on challenges such as regulatory compliance, Air Services Agreements, technological advancements, workforce development, operational matters, and sustainability.

Marc Bailey

Marc Bailey has spent his entire career in aviation and has worked in most areas of Aviation Services with scheduled airlines, MRO’s, military contract support and latterly with associations, government, and its agencies.

Marc represents your position in Europe (even post Brexit) – as President of ECOGAS (European Council of General Aviation Support) which maintains a voice with EASA. All the major member states are represented on the ECOGAS board. With EASA restructuring its meetings with industry, ECOGAS is now well positioned to represent our position in all areas following industry partnerships with the European Independent Maintenance Group and with ARPAS the new drone and autonomous association.

Marc is chair of the UKASF (United Kingdom Airworthiness Strategic Forum) as part of an initiative to develop Aviation Services across all aviation activities. The UKASF pulls together airlines, MROs, Rotary, Drones, and commercial GA bodies to work with CAA and DfT. The objective is for industry to take the lead to drive strategic issues to benefit all parties. We are well positioned after four years to continue our good work and with the re-established role of Chief Surveyor in the CAA we have a good focal point to do this.

Marc chairs the CAA Finance and Services Forum which allows industry in the UK to discuss in the financial plans for the CAA and the value for money delivered by those funds paid by industry. This is a new and valuable new platform for all parties.

Under recent developments Marc has formed an alliance with, ARPAS, AOPA, BHA and BBGA so that we can strengthen our voice under a joint ‘GA 4 Biz’ banner. This alliance is working to do everything possible to represent the industry’s business interests with UK government and to help realise the Government’s desire to make UK General Aviation a Global Leader in a post Brexit environment. GA4Biz – GA4Biz

The next Generation initiatives with industry and government have continued to develop with the retention platform now evolving into the “Aviation Skills Recruitment Platform”. The platform now not only offers a vehicle for those offering and seeking posts in aviation, it also provides pathways with its TalentView portion seeking to provide pathways for new entrants into our sector. The recruitment platform is being further developed to include training opportunities across a wide range of providers, from government agencies through academic bodies. Getting our next generation activities right in the UK over the next couple of years is our single most important issue which we in aviation must grab with both hands. Marc is playing a central role to help develop many of these channels.

Our Number has changed:

What Our Members Say

Join BBGA

British Business and General Aviation Association

What Our Members Say

Join BBGA

British Business and General Aviation Association

Paul Cremer

Jason Hayward

James Moreton

James Hardie

Aoife O’Sullivan

Alex Durand

Marc Bailey

Sarah Towerzey

Heather Gordon

Lindsey Oliver