WALLACE Arnold and Shearings have merged to create a
grey-market superpower, carrying one million passengers annually,
with a £216 million turnover.
The deal could see the merged coach operator branch out into air
travel, adventure holidays and long-haul travel, according to
Shearings managing director John Slatcher.
He said an expanded database of 2.5 million passengers would
allow it to increase air links to Europe and add more trips to
destinations such as Canada, the US and South Africa. “The
strength of the database will allow us to expand these
areas,” he said.
The deal was agreed by both companies this week and is expected
to be approved by the Office of Fair Trading within six weeks.