The liquidators of insolvent German airline Germania (Berlin Schönefeld) are in talks with "several" investors and see a chance to restart the airline, dpa newswire has reported.
"Our primary goal is to keep the airline operational in order to keep the take-off and landing slots. This is the basic requirement for a solution, which could include the acquisition of the business as a part or as a whole," provisional insolvency administrator Rüdiger Wienberg said.
The airline filed for bankruptcy on February 4, 2019. While it has lost its operating licence immediately afterwards, its Air Operator's Certificate (AOC) remains active, allowing the liquidators to retain slots owned by Germania. So far, no staff have been laid off, either.
Wienberg did not name any potential investors. Former airberlin group CEO Joachim Hunold, logistics firm Zeitfracht, and aviation investor Hans-Rudolf Wöhrl were all named as potential bidders shortly before Germania's declaration of bankruptcy. According to the WirtschaftsWoche, the airline secured EUR20 million euros (USD22.6 million) out of some EUR30 million euros (USD34 million) it needed to survive through the start of the summer season. While talks were ongoing regarding the remainder of the sum, the airline ran out of cash before they could finalise.
Airbus and aircraft lessors, including SundAir (SR, Berlin Brandenburg International), were also reportedly willing to provide relief to the struggling carrier.
Der Spiegel has also reported that shortly before the declaration of bankruptcy, Germania shifted some assets, including the order for twenty-five A320-200neo placed with Airbus, to a new company to avoid having to sell them during liquidation. CEO Karsten Balke strongly denied this report.
"No asset shifts have taken place either within the Germania Group or to third party companies," Balke told Bild.
He also added that the order for twenty-five A320neo had no monetary value as of now.
