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Adventure tourism firm Experience Co has announced plans to sell its Skydive Australia and New Zealand businesses to NZ-based Inflite.
The $65 million deal would see Experience Co maintain a minority stake in its Australian and New Zealand skydive and aviation businesses, which would merge with Inflite’s existing operations. Experience Co would keep a 32.5 per cent interest in the combined business, with an estimated value of $110 million.
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“Inflite is one of New Zealand’s leading integrated aviation-tourism operators, with a strong footprint across New Zealand’s premier tourism destinations. It operates scenic flights, ski planes, helicopters, charters, skydiving and glacier guiding across four New Zealand locations,” Experience Co said in an ASX release.
“Its established brands, complementary product mix and long-standing operational track record position it as a natural strategic partner for [Experience Co]’s Australian and New Zealand skydive and aviation businesses.
“The Proposed Transaction has emerged as an attractive opportunity from [Experience Co]’s strategic review of its Skydive Australia business unit. Should the Proposed Transaction proceed, it would create a leading integrated aviation tourism platform across Australia and New Zealand.”
In a trading update in May, Experience Co had noted that its skydiving revenue and volumes were down five per cent over the prior corresponding period (PCP), citing “the impacts of weather, consumer sentiment and Protected Industrial Action (PIA) in Australia”.
Around 70 instructors for Skydive Australia had walked off the job at eight sites around Australia in February seeking better pay and conditions. It followed similar industrial action in December over stalled enterprise agreement negotiations.
“Skydive Australia revenue and volumes decreased by seven per cent and two per cent respectively vs PCP,” the company said.
“Skydive Australia performance in January and February was impacted by PIA in December during the Christmas/New Year sales campaign period, as well as 6 days of PIA in February during the Chinese New Year and Valentines Day trading periods.
“Skydive New Zealand revenue (in AUD) and volume decreased by three per cent and two per cent respectively vs PCP driven by lower processing rates caused by adverse weather conditions in January and February, as well as the impact of the depreciation of the NZD against the AUD.
“Skydive New Zealand demand remains strong with bookings consistently above PCP during the YTD FY26 period.”
Experience Co employed around 130 skydivers around Australia as at December last year.
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