Ae270 Cleared for Limited Ops in Europe

After receiving limited type certification of the Ae270 single-engine turboprop from the Czech Civil Aviation Authority in December, Czech-Slovak private-equity group Penta Holding acquired 100 percent of the shares of Ae270 manufacturer Aero Vodochody. The transaction was completed on January 4, and Aero Vodochody retained its 50-percent ownership of the shares of Ibis Aerospace, a joint venture with Taiwan’s AIDC. Aero Vodochody plans to sell the Ae270 in non-U.S. countries, according to spokesman Josef Sonsky, “to be able to support the aircraft relatively easily.” Penta plans to restructure Aero Vodochody into “a healthy and profitable company that can cope with tough international competition,” said Aero Vodochody president Peter Ondro. Plans for a “B” model with redesigned wings and systems, called the Ibis, await further discussions between AIDC and Aero Vodochody, Sonsky explained.