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Download as PDFDr Christian Kaufmann from PLUTA Rechtsanwalts GmbH has found an investor for several activities of insolvent WIKING Helikopter Service GmbH. Effective 15 December 2022, Northern Helicopter GmbH, based in Emden, and its associated companies will take over the shipyard segment, the Continuing Airworthiness Management Organisation (CAMO) and Approved Training Organisation (ATO) activities as well as the Sea Pilot Transfer business together with two Airbus H145 helicopters required for this. Around 50 employees will be kept on. The purchase agreement signed at the end of September is still subject to some closing conditions.
The company’s Helicopter Emergency Medical Service business had already been discontinued before the application for insolvency was filed. The Crew Change activities will be kept operational by the insolvency administrator until the end of the year and will then be discontinued, as the contract with the most important customer will end at that time. A total of 44 employees will therefore have to be made redundant at the end of the year, while 18 employees left the company at their own accord or will leave shortly. Dr Kaufmann said, “We held many talks with investors as part of a comprehensive M&A process. However, despite the great number of interested parties, none of them submitted a binding offer for the Crew Change business. This is very regrettable, especially for the motivated employees.”
The company based in Lower Saxony has been involved in insolvency proceedings since summer 2022. On 27 September 2022, the Local Court of Wilhelmshaven opened the insolvency proceedings and appointed Dr Kaufmann as administrator. He had previously acted as provisional administrator during the provisional proceedings. Dr Kaufmann and his PLUTA team, which also includes attorney Mr André Gildehaus and business management expert Mr Jürgen Schendel, kept the company operational and launched a structured M&A process, which has now been concluded. The team was advised on labor law by Dr. Karl-Friedrich Gulbins.
PLUTA expert
Dr. Christian Kaufmann
Rechtsanwalt, Fachanwalt für Insolvenz- und Sanierungsrecht
André Gildehaus
Rechtsanwalt
Jürgen Schendel
Diplom-Ökonom
Dr. Karl-Friedrich Gulbins
Rechtsanwalt, LL. M. (UoL)