Would-be investors at the show with up to €200 million ($273 million) to spare should make tracks for Niall Olver. That is the sum the ExecuJet chief executive needs to resurrect the SPn - the all-composite light jet he conceived and which Grob Aerospace began to build before it went into liquidation last year.
Although Olver - heading the ExecuJet presence at EBACE -says he is in advanced discussions with two potential saviours of the programme, he is open to approaches. He believes the fact that the industry may have hit rock bottom could encourage new financial entrants to business aviation.
"There are a lot of people interested in getting into the market," he said at the show. "The feeling is that now is the time to get into the industry."
Olver and his current business backer have effectively retained all the design and brand rights to the SPn, plus two flying prototypes, two in-build aircraft and tooling. The aircraft are stored at Grob's factory at Tussenhausen-Mattsies, near Munich.
Olver says that, depending on any deal struck, the business will relocate to another airfield in Bavaria and establish production facilities, or continue to develop the aircraft but transfer manufacturing to a partner airframer.
Before its collapse, Grob secured around 100 orders for the €5.9 million aircraft. Grob says there are customers willing to buy 65 aircraft.
Source: Flight Daily News
