After years of successful partnership, Pilatus is acquiring Air Alliance GmbH, strengthening its footprint in Germany and Austria. Founded in 1993, Air Alliance is renowned for selling, maintaining, and training on Pilatus aircraft. Under the deal, all roughly 120 staff members will keep their jobs, and current Managing Director René Petersen will stay on as CEO.
Air Alliance has been an authorized Pilatus Sales & Service Center since 2014, overseeing PC-12 and PC-24 support across Germany and Austria. The company also runs a flight school and offers commercial flights via its AOC, managing everything from sales to operations. Notably, its air ambulance subsidiary, Unicair GmbH, remains independent and is not part of the acquisition.
For Pilatus, the move is about growth. “Europe offers huge potential,” said Chairman Hansueli Loosli. “Now we can get even closer to our customers.” CEO Markus Bucher promised “exclusive, first-class service” for Pilatus owners. Petersen called Pilatus a strong partner enabling faster market expansion. The deal requires regulatory approval from German and aviation authorities.
