Smiths to Sell Airport Screening Business to Private Equity for $2.2B

CVC Capital Partners has agreed to acquire Smiths Detection for $2.2 billion, marking a major portfolio restructuring for UK-based Smiths Group. The deal positions Smiths Detection—a global leader in airport security screening technology serving 47 of the world’s 50 busiest airports—under private equity ownership while enabling Smiths Group to refocus on industrial engineering. The transaction, expected to close in H2 2026, represents the second major divestiture this year as Smiths executes a strategic repositioning toward flow management and thermal solutions.