Acquisition
Satys Aerospace Acquires Sabena Technics' Four Aircraft Painting Facilities in Toulouse
•February 13, 2026
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Why It Matters
The move positions Satys as a leading European aircraft‑painting provider, capitalising on an 8% OEM production surge and unlocking higher margins in a recovering aero market. It also diversifies revenue streams and strengthens the group’s resilience after years of pandemic‑related disruption.
Key Takeaways
- •Acquired Sabena Technics' four painting sites, adding 140 aircraft capacity
- •Divested cabling, cabin, rail interior to focus on aero
- •Plans 18 new paint sites, targeting €300M revenue by 2030
- •Satys Coatings invests €7M in anaphoretic, chromate‑free technology
- •Workforce to grow to 3,000, adding 800 hires by 2030
Pulse Analysis
The global aeronautics sector is rebounding strongly after the pandemic, with OEM output climbing roughly 8% annually. Satys Group leveraged this tailwind by shedding non‑core businesses and concentrating on its historic strengths in aircraft painting and surface treatment. The acquisition of Sabena Technics' four Toulouse facilities not only adds 140 aircraft‑painting slots per year but also consolidates Satys' relationship with Airbus, giving the company a strategic foothold at the heart of Europe’s aerospace hub.
Operationally, Satys is scaling aggressively. With 46 paint shops and 68 booths already spanning ten countries, the firm plans to launch 18 additional sites—including six long‑haul capacity facilities—over the next six years. This expansion underpins a revenue trajectory from €192 million in 2025 to €265 million by 2028 and beyond €300 million by 2030, while targeting the painting of more than 1,200 aircraft. The broader market outlook, driven by rising demand for commercial, regional and defense platforms, amplifies the upside for Satys' MRO and defense service offerings.
Innovation remains a differentiator for Satys Coatings, which has committed €7 million to develop anaphoretic coating technology—a sustainable, chromate‑free alternative that meets tightening environmental regulations. Coupled with a planned workforce increase to 3,000 employees, including 800 new hires by 2030, the group is building both capacity and expertise. These moves signal to investors and industry partners that Satys is not only recovering its pre‑COVID profitability but also positioning itself for long‑term leadership in the high‑growth aerospace value chain.
Deal Summary
Satys Aerospace announced the acquisition of Sabena Technics' four aircraft painting facilities in Cornebarrieu, Toulouse, finalizing the transaction on February 13, 2026. The deal transfers 130 employees and adds capacity to handle 140 aircraft per year, expanding Satys' network to ten painting facilities in Toulouse and strengthening its position with Airbus.
Article
Source: Runway Girl Network
Driven by the strong momentum of the global aeronautics industry, the discreet Toulouse-based Satys Group is consolidating its growth, recovering its pre-Covid profitability ratios, and entering 2026 with solid development ambitions across its six markets: commercial aviation, regional aviation, business aviation, helicopters, defense, and aircraft repainting.
“This favorable environment contrasts sharply with the extreme difficulties we faced from 2020 to mid-2024, initially due to the health crisis and subsequently to the effects of hyperinflation, a cyber-attack, and the discontinuity of demand,” notes Christophe Cador, founder and chairman of Satys.
“We have worked extensively, particularly on our organizational structure, and continued to invest in training and targeted industrial capabilities to ensure we could meet the strong recovery of the sector. The efforts of the Satys Aerospace and Satys Coatings teams are now paying off, and our four priorities have remained unchanged for 40 years: staff safety, on-time delivery, the quality of our services, and a service driven mindset.”
A strategic realignment toward our core business
The group has undertaken a major strategic shift since 2020 by refocusing on aircraft painting and surface treatment. This roadmap led Satys to divest its cabling business to an investment fund in 2020, then in early 2025 to sell its Satys Cabin division to the UUDS Group, a leading player in this field in France.
Finally, on 30 January 2026, it sold its rail interior design business, Kelox, to the French group Barat, a well-established player in this sector. Kelox had been successfully restructured in 2025 following very serious financial difficulties between 2022 and 2024, which had required significant financial support from the shareholder.
Satys announces the takeover of Sabena technics’s four aircraft painting facilities in Toulouse
The latest milestone in this strategy is the takeover of Sabena technics’ four aircraft painting facilities in Cornebarrieu, finalized on February 13th, 2026. Located on the edge of the Toulouse-Blagnac runways, these facilities handle 140 aircraft per year. The transaction includes the transfer of the site’s 130 employees to Satys Aerospace.
“The expertise of the Satys teams in Blagnac, combined with that of Sabena technics in Cornebarrieu, will enable us to further strengthen our positioning and operational performance for our customer Airbus, with a total of 10 painting facilities in Toulouse, including 4 wide-body hangars,” emphasizes Gregory Mayeur, CEO of Satys Aerospace.
This takeover follows the acquisition of SPI in 2022 and the opening of four new painting facilities in 2025–26, including a wide-body paint bay in Châteauroux.
Satys Industries is today structured around two autonomous groups, each 100% dedicated to aeronautics
Satys Aerospace is a global leader in aircraft painting and sealing and will celebrate its 40th anniversary in June 2026. The company operates forty-six paint shops and sixty-eight paint booths across ten countries and plans to open eighteen additional sites — including six long-haul capacity facilities — on four continents over the next six years.
Satys Aerospace’s main customers include the aircraft manufacturers Airbus, Dassault, Embraer and ATR, airlines and maintenance centers. Its revenue — €140 million in 2019, €96 million in 2021, and €192 million in 2025 — is expected to reach €265 million in 2028 and more than €300 million in 2030, with 1,200 aircraft painted.
Satys Aerospace is benefiting from the average 8% growth in production rates among OEMs (aircraft and engine manufacturers) and is gaining market share in the defense and MRO sectors (airlines and maintenance centers).
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The group employs 2,200 people, including 1,500 in France. By 2030, it plans on recruiting 800 people, over one-third of which will be in France.
Satys Aerospace’s shareholders include Christophe Cador through the Satys Industries holding company, the management team, and financial investors: funds managed by Tikehau Investment Management, Crédit Mutuel Equity, Groupe Crédit Agricole, BPI France, and IRDI. “They, together with our long-standing banking partners, have been very supportive during the difficult years,” confirms Pierre-Yves Fargeas, the Group’s Chief Financial Officer.
Satys Coatings, led by Thierry Cotelle (CEO), specializes in surface treatment for aeronautical parts and operates four production sites: in Marseille, where Satys Coatings is investing in the renovation of its historic facility; in Toulouse; in Dugny (Seine-Saint-Denis); and in Gyula (Hungary). Satys Coatings has also developed in Marignane, together with its partner Gaches Chimie, the Expiris platform, which comprises a design office—focused on research into next-generation coatings — a corrosion expertise center, and a laboratory supporting its activities.
With revenue of €35 million in 2025, a workforce of 300 people, and 7% annual growth, the company is strongly focused on innovation. The group has developed anaphoretic coating technology (with a €7 million investment in 2023), a genuine alternative to the use of chromates in surface treatment and painting.
“Our priorities also include reducing processing times, maintaining a high level of quality, and providing additional capacity to support the growth of the aeronautics sector,” explains Thierry Cotelle.
Featured image credited to Satys Group
The post Press Release: Satys completes strategic realignment, focuses on aero appeared first on Runway Girl.
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