Senior Editor

Jerry Siebenmark

Ruag International is selling its business aircraft and military helicopter MRO business in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany, to General Atomics Europe, the company announced today. Under an agreement signed by both companies on September 30, the deal also includes the sale of the production of the Dornier 228 utility twin turboprop and retention of the 450 employees who work there.

 


“We are aware of the challenges that a takeover of this magnitude means, especially in the aviation sector amid the current coronavirus crisis,” said General Atomics Europe managing director Harald Robl. “However, General Atomics Europe is economically robust. We are convinced of the great potential of this company and its employees and want to develop Oberpfaffenhofen into the European aviation core of the General Atomics Europe Group.”

 


The sale by Ruag International comes as part of a plan to realign its business, which was approved in March 2019. The <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2019-07-02/dassault-buys-ruags-geneva-and-lugano-sites">first divestiture</a> under that “unbundling” plan was the sale last year of Ruag’s business aircraft maintenance operations in Geneva and Lugano to Dassault Aviation.

 


The sale to General Atomics is expected to close later this year following regulatory approval. Ruag will retain its aerostructures business at Oberpfaffenhofen that employs 800 people.

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