Ardian Purchase, with the involvement of Magnum Capital, has completed a notable move in the Iberian telecommunications landscape by acquiring a stake in the Elche-based Air Group. The deal, as confirmed by the company, places the enterprise valuation at about 600 million euros. Importantly, the transaction leaves the ownership held by the founding partners unchanged, while the existing management team remains in control of day-to-day operations.
This acquisition marks a clear continuation of Ardian Buyout’s strategic path, reinforcing a growing plan that blends organic and inorganic growth to strengthen the group’s footprint. Since 2019, Ardian has pursued an ambitious expansion through acquisitions of Prored, Unelink, LCRcom, and AR Telecom, all designed to bolster the four core business pillars: cloud technology, connectivity, mobile enablement, and unified communications. The synthesis of these capabilities positions the group to offer end-to-end services with greater depth and resilience in a rapidly evolving market.
Grupo Aire’s Chief Executive Officer, Raul Aledo, remarked that the road map laid out four years ago is already positioning the company as a leading player in the sector. He noted that expanding the company’s reach both domestically and internationally remains a central objective and that the involvement of Ardian Buyout as a new financial partner adds a fresh dimension to ongoing growth initiatives. Aledo emphasized that ownership transfer does not translate into operational changes; instead, it supports a continuation of the current operational model while enabling strategic enhancements through the alliance with Ardian.
For the chairman of Grupo Aire, this substantial agreement signifies momentum to push into new markets across all lines of activity. He indicated that the forthcoming strategic plan would be developed in collaboration with Ardian Buyout, highlighting a shared understanding with the senior management team that underpins the partnership. This cooperative approach aims to unlock new opportunities while maintaining the group’s existing strengths and customer commitments.
Aledo further commented that the decisive input from the private equity sector plays a crucial role in informed decision making. He expressed confidence in the alignment and the sense of affinity experienced from the outset, which reinforces the anticipation of positive outcomes from this operation. The collaboration is expected to bring additional capital, strategic guidance, and governance support that will help accelerate product innovation and geographic reach in both the national and international arenas.
The transaction is currently subject to regulatory approvals and is anticipated to be completed in the final quarter of the year, pending clearance. The timeline reflects a careful, phased approach to ensure compliance and to integrate the new partnership with existing workflows and service commitments without disruption to customers and partners.
Grupo Aire is a consortium of telecommunications companies delivering connectivity, voice, audiovisual, cloud, and data center solutions to a diverse base of operators, corporate clients, and public administrations. The group operates an extensive data center network across the Iberian Peninsula and is linked by a robust communications backbone that spans more than 32,000 kilometers, enabling reliable, scalable services. This backbone underpins the company’s ability to offer seamless, end-to-end telecommunications capabilities across regions and sectors alike.
Back in 2018, Magnum Capital became a shareholder in Aire Networks, the umbrella for Grupo Aire, while the founding partners continued to hold their stakes. The company had projected revenue of around 120 million euros for the previous year, reflecting a steady trajectory in a market characterized by rapid technological adoption and increasing demand for integrated digital services. The current deal, building on that foundation, signals an intent to accelerate momentum and to position Aire Networks as a more prominent player in a competitive, high-growth landscape.