Menzies Aviation

John Menzies Ltd. is an aviation services business providing aircraft ground handling services, through its subsidiary Menzies Aviation Ltd. The company also provides air cargo services through its subsidiary Air Menzies International. The company is based in Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom.

On 4 August 2022, Agility Logistics acquired the company and announced that it would begin to integrate its operations with its National Aviation Services subsidiary, and rebrand the combined business as Menzies Aviation.

History
The company was founded by a bookseller, John Menzies, with his first shop in Princes Street, Edinburgh, in 1833. In 1941, the company's branch in Greenock was destroyed in the Greenock Blitz.

Menzies bookshops and newsagents spread across the United Kingdom, often located at railway stations. The company acquired other operators such as Wyman & Sons in 1959.

In January 1998, the company closed its principal branch in Edinburgh, although the head office continued to occupy the building. The whole retail operation was sold to WHSmith in May 1998, to enable Menzies to concentrate on its distribution business.

In January 2007, the company merged its newspaper and magazine wholesale distribution businesses in Northern Ireland into a joint venture with Eason & Son, which became known as EM News Distribution; the company acquired the 50% it did not own in May 2017.

On 31 January 2017, Menzies Aviation completed the acquisition of specialist aircraft fueller Aircraft Services International (ASIG) from BBA Aviation for US$202m. After a planned merger between the Menzies Distribution and the DX Group collapsed in August 2017, the company announced, in July 2018, that it had sold the distribution division to private equity company Endless, with the former owner retaining a 10% share in the business.

On 27 March 2020, the company confirmed it had been badly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and reduced its headcount by over 17,500. The number of flights Menzies handled globally fell by 60% during the second quarter 2020.

In April 2022, Menzies Aviation acquired Santiago-based ground and air cargo handling services company, Agunsa Aviation Services.

In August 2022, Agility Logistics acquired the company for £571 million stating it intended to merge its operations with its National Aviation Services subsidiary.

In February 2023, it was announced Menzies Aviation had acquired a majority stake in the Jamaican ground and cargo handling company, AJAS Limited.