Founded in 1993, Air Alliance GmbH is recognized for its expertise in the sale of Pilatus aircraft, maintenance services and flight training. The entire workforce of approximately 120 employees will be retained under the acquisition. René Petersen, the current Managing Director, will remain with the company as CEO. He and his team will lead further operations under the new ownership structure.
Air Alliance has been an authorized Pilatus Sales & Service Center since 2014, overseeing sales and technical support for the PC-12 and PC-24 in Germany and Austria. The company’s portfolio of services also includes a flight training school and commercial flights with the PC-12 and PC-24 Super Versatile Jet under a professional aircraft management program and air operator certification (AOC). This puts Air Alliance in touch with the entire value chain: from sales and maintenance through to operational management.
Unicair GmbH, the Air Alliance Group’s subsidiary, which provides global ambulance flights, is not part of the acquisition and will remain an independent company.
Growing European market
The acquisition builds on a successful partnership of many years. It provides an opportunity for Pilatus to expand its market presence and strengthen the quality and consistency of its portfolio of services in Europe, with the aim of moving even closer to its customers and of consistently leveraging synergies between manufacturing, sales and operations.
Pilatus Chairman of the Board of Directors, Hansueli Loosli, commented: “Europe, particularly Germany and Austria, is a very important market for Pilatus, and offers potential for further growth. This acquisition gives us the opportunity to leverage synergies and move even closer to our customers with the Pilatus brand and our own services. I’m delighted that we have Air Alliance and its employees on board with us to fulfill our mission together – Welcome to the Pilatus Family!”
The merger opens the door to new opportunities for Air Alliance, too: “Pilatus will allow us to embark on further growth in our markets and areas of strengths – something which we could not have achieved at the planned pace without a partner as strong as Pilatus”, said René Petersen.
Markus Bucher, CEO of Pilatus, stated: “Going forward, we will do everything possible to work together to provide our customers with the exclusive, first-class service they are entitled to expect as purchasers or owners of a Pilatus aircraft. We all look forward to building an even closer partnership in the future.”
The transaction is subject to the usual regulatory approvals as well as the approval of the German Federal Aviation Authority.
ATP Flight School has reduced the published timeline of its Airline Career Pilot Program by 25% after significantly reducing delays between training completion and FAA practical tests. Students starti...
The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore has awarded Thales a landmark contract to develop a new NexGen Air Traffic Management System (ATMS) and air traffic control radars, marking a major step towar...
Daher Aircraft has delivered the 400th Kodiak, marking a significant achievement for the multi-role airplane family as its customer base continues to expand across government, commercial, business and...
Gulfstream G700 set a new Los Angeles to Farnborough, England, city pair speed record, completing the 4,740-nautical-mile/8,778-kilometer journey in 8 hours and 27 minutes from takeoff to touchdown. T...
