The district court of Bad Kreuznach has opened the regular insolvency proceedings for Hahn Airport. A total of five companies are affected.
These include the operating company Flughafen Frankfurt Hahn GmbH and two subsidiaries of the Chinese HNA Group. In 2017, she took over the majority stake in the airport from the state of Rhineland-Palatinate. The court asks creditors to register their claims with the insolvency administrator. Among other things, the state of Rhineland-Palatinate is demanding reimbursement of aid amounting to more than ten million euros.
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Insolvency administrator sees “small partial success”
Insolvency administrator Jan Markus Plathner spoke of a “small partial success”. According to his spokesman, flight operations can initially be continued in February thanks to the rehabilitation measures that were initiated immediately. Plathner added: “However, we have to check how long operations can be maintained.” The Frankfurt lawyer further explained: “This will not least depend on how much support we get from everyone involved.”
Regarding the first offers with concepts from prospective buyers for Hahn Airport, Plathner explained that these were currently being evaluated. He could not give details yet. According to earlier information, the works council hopes that Hahn will remain as an airport and not just as a larger business park.
Employees get more money
The time-limited insolvency money for the employees has already been flowing for three months. The Hahn companies will again pay the February wages and salaries themselves, as Plathner’s spokesman explained. The lawyer had assured in an earlier staff meeting: “Those who work get their money.” According to the spokesman, a sixth company at the airport, Jet Fuel Hahn GmbH, which is responsible for refueling aircraft, is still examining possible insolvency proceedings for “procedural reasons”.
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Hahn Airport had already filed for bankruptcy in October 2021. Even then, Plathner took over the helm as initially provisional insolvency administrator. The Chinese group HNA, which has also been ailing in the meantime, acquired 82.5 percent of the airport from the state of Rhineland-Palatinate in 2017 for around 15 million euros. The state of Hesse still holds 17.5 percent.
Plathner: Hahn needs to cut losses
Plathner also recently stated that a long-term continuation of operations at Hahn depends on a reduction in losses – and that “the investor process can also be completed promptly with a view to the necessary official approvals”. On Wednesday, the insolvency administrator thanked “the workforce, the works councils, the unions, the customers and suppliers and all other participants who made this first partial success possible, for their support.”
The Koblenz public prosecutor’s office is also investigating at Hahn Airport on suspicion of gang infidelity, subsidy fraud – and delaying insolvency. That should not help the bankruptcy proceedings. In the meantime, daily flight operations with not too high passenger numbers due to corona and winter continue. There are also cargo flights.