Switzerland

Pilatus strengthens European presence with acquisition of
Germany's Air Alliance

Pilatus has announced its acquisition of Air Alliance GmbH, recognized for its expertise in the sale of Pilatus aircraft, maintenance services and flight training.

Founded in 1993, 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), putting Air Alliance in touch with the entire value chain: from sales and maintenance through to operational management.

Pilatus strengthens European presence with acquisition of Germany's Air Alliance

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.

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.

Speaking at the contract signing, Pilatus Chairman of the Board of Directors, Hansueli Loosli, noted: “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”, commented René Petersen.

Markus Bucher, CEO of Pilatus, added: “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.”