Romanian Airplane Mker Avioane Craiova Employees Resume Protests

Avioane Craiova’s general manager Anatolie Boldisor arrived in the factory at eight o’clock in the morning and entered the plant in silence.

The employees will continue protests until Bolidsor files his resignation or the country’s privatization authority AVAS sacks him.

The factory’s employees ceased work last week for two days in a row and protested in front of the plant disgruntled that they hadn’t received their wages for two months.

AVAS said at the end of last week it will resume Monday the sale of its 80.9% stake in Avioane Craiova and expects participation documents and final bids to be submitted until Nov 24.

End-May, AVAS received three offers for its stake in Avioane Craiova from Italy’s Alenia Aeronautica, Czech Aero Vodochody and Bucharest-based INAV.

AVAS thoroughly analyzed the offers and selected AERO Vodochody in July, as it submitted the best financial offer, namely EUR16.3 million, of which, nearly EUR4.2 million for the 80.9% stake, EUR3.3 million for the working capital and EUR8.8 million for investments in the plant over a five-year period, of which EUR4.5 million in the first year upon the takeover.

AVAS announced in Sept it would resume the sale process of Avioane Craiova and asked the company’s evaluator to immediately update the evaluation report of the airplane maker’s assets, to allow the launch of the new sale offer until October 20.

End-September, AVAS announced it ceased negotiations with Aero, as the offer’s validity period expired before Aero accepted the contractual clauses imposed by AVAS.

Avioane Craiova was set up in 1972 and is the country’s sole military aircraft maker.