Swiss manufacturer Pilatus Aircraft (PCH, Buochs) has acquired German operator Air Alliance (Germany) (Siegen) from AirAlliance Group. The transaction excludes Unicair (UNI, Cologne/Bonn), an air ambulance specialist owned by the same holding, which now plans to add Pilatus PC-24s to its own fleet.
The acquisition, subject to regulatory approval and consent of the German federal aviation regulator (Luftfahrt Bundesamt - LBA), includes the operator's German AOC #D-390, reactivated in August, along with PC-24 and PC-12 aircraft management agreements, a flight training school, and roughly 120 staff.
“Europe, particularly Germany and Austria, is a key market for Pilatus and offers significant potential for growth. This acquisition allows us to leverage synergies and engage even more closely with our customers through the Pilatus brand and our own services,” said Pilatus chairman of the board, Hansueli Loosli.
Air Alliance's current fleet includes a 2025-built PC-24, D-CAPM (msn 566), delivered in December. Based at Siegen, the aircraft has been active since mid-March.
The company has served as a Pilatus sales and service centre since 2014, providing technical support for the PC-12 and PC-24 in Austria and Germany. Current managing director René Petersen will remain with the company as chief executive officer.
AirAlliance Group was created in 2021 through the merger of AirAlliance Medflight and Jetcall. The group owns a 100% stake in Unicair, and was the sole shareholder in Air Alliance. The group itself is majority owned by closed investment fund DPE Deutschland III.
Unicair fleet renewal
In a statement, Unicair said that following AirAlliance Group's divestment of Air Alliance, it will proceed with a fleet modernisation programme designed to “increase technical availability, improve operational efficiency and further enhance the quality of patient care”. It will now focus on the aeromedical business, having sold the aircraft trading and maintenance business.
“We plan to gradually replace the Learjet 35 and Learjet 45 aircraft currently used for short- and medium-haul operations with modern PC-24 aircraft over the coming years. The Challenger 604 fleet used for long-haul missions will remain in service,” the statement said.
The carrier's active fleet comprises a Learjet 31A, a Learjet 35A, a Learjet 35A(ZR Lite), a Learjet 45, three Learjet 45(XR)s, and two Challenger 604s, one of which has been parked at Siegen since March 16 after three months of inactivity at Cologne/Bonn. Several additional aircraft of the same types are currently stored.
AirAlliance Group will now focus exclusively on air medical transport. Unicair and Air Alliance will continue cooperating under a multi-year maintenance agreement under which Air Alliance will service Unicair's fleet.
