RTX [NYSE:RTX] is expected to continue looking at divestitures from Collins Aerospace once it closes on the sale of Collins’s actuation and flight control business to French aerospace engine manufacturer Safran [EPA:SAF], said four sector advisors.

Collins Aerospace’s landing gear business is the likeliest divestiture candidate, the four sector advisors said. Two of the advisors reasoned that Arlington, Virginia-based RTX continues to focus on higher-end technologies and landing gear doesn’t fall into that category. These sector advisors said with the pending sale, the landing gear business becomes less of a core asset because it is adjacent to the actuation business.

The landing gear business could interest private equity firms and strategics, they said. These sector advisors added that the interested parties could be similar to the bidders for the actuation segment. In a report by this news service last year, SAFRAN, Veritas Capital and KPS Capital Partners were named as parties that showed interest in the actuation business during the divest process.

While RTX does not break out the size of the landing gear business, one of the sector advisors called it sizable.

Safran agreed to acquire Collins Aerospace’s actuation and flight control business for USD 1.8bn last year. It moved closer to a completing the deal early this month when it got approval from the Italian government. Safran made a number of commitments to address the concerns expressed in the initial Italian decree of 16 November 2023 and provide adequate safeguards of the Italian national interest, according to a press release.

In the July 2023 announcement of the deal, Safran said the transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals and closing conditions. Closing is expected to take place in this year’s second half, the press release said.

Collins Aerospace had about USD 26.3bn in 2023 sales, up 14% from around USD 23.1bn in revenue the year prior, according to its latest 10-K.

RTX consists of three segments: Collins Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney, and Raytheon.

This news service reported last month that Safran was in the middle of a sale process for some of its North American actuation facilities. The divests are aimed at accelerating regulatory approval for Safran’s acquisition of Collins Aerospace’s actuation and flight control business, as reported.

RTX has a USD 134.63bn market capitalization. The company declined to comment.