Up & Away Aviation, a UK-based supplier of aircraft cleaning and detailing services, has secured new ownership with Unifi Aviation, a ground aviation services company and part of the Argenbright Group. The deal was signed by Up & Away founder and CEO Stefan Murphy and Unifi CEO Gautam Thakkar at Up & Away's London Oxford airport headquarters following six months of dialogue.

The agreement has been formalised as Up & Away prepares to open its 13th base at London's Gatwick airport at the beginning of August, having recently ramped up its personnel to over 500 employees, over 400 of whom are dedicated to airline activity.

Unifi 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 $1.29 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.

Patterson says: “Up & Away brings exactly what Unifi was looking for, a personalised, intimate service offering to customers. It is excited to take that, harness it, and help grow and expand the business, using the same culture and same dedicated team.”

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 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 and London Oxford.

Thakkar says: “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 their 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 plus airports, including the world's busiest, will allow Unifi to replicate its success in the UK and provide customers with an exceptional experience.”

Murphy adds: "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, in opening 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.”