Pandel brothers acquire AnimaWings, the Romanian subsidiary of Aegean Airlines, through Christian Tour Holding SA

Christian Tour Holding S.A. has received the green light from the Competition Council for the acquisition of the 51% majority stake in Anima Wings Aviation S.A. previously owned by Aegean Airlines. Thus, AnimaWings airline becomes 100% Romanian, being fully owned by Memento Holding BV and Christian Tour Holding S.A.

“We started this company in 2019 to fulfill a dream – that of having a 100% Romanian airline. In 2020, following a working relationship of over 15 years with us, Aegean joined the Animawings project to integrate their know how, expertise and experience into the company, as they are the best regional air operator in Europe”, said  Cristian Pandel, founder of Christian Tour Holding SA.

If at the beginning Animawings was just a project, now, upon acquisition, it is a company that has been operating in Romania for almost five years, with hundreds of thousands of passengers who have travelled to their favourite holiday destinations and have been very satisfied with the quality services offered on board the aircraft.

„Today, AnimaWings is a company with infrastructure, a team of strong professionals, dedicated employees, systems, procedures and safety protocols meeting exceptionally high standards. Obviously, this has required and still requires very large rounds of investment, of which we are aware, but we are highly motivated to continue the story of AnimaWings in a 100% Romanian version. We would be happy if the Romanian business community could see how important it is to demonstrate the performance of a Romanian company that achieves international standards of excellence”, Cristian Pandel added.

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The value of the transaction by which Christian Tour Holding S.A. bought a majority stake in Aegean Airlines is of several million euros. Negotiations and final approvals, including clearance from the Competition Council, took over 8 months.

“Our immediate objective is for AnimaWings to become the preferred airline of Romanians and to keep the Romanian aviation standards as high as possible, with a business philosophy focused on passengers, on customers. Investments will continue, because we have big plans: 12 new aircraft in the fleet in the next 3 years, Airbus A220 and Airbus 320-200 NEO”, said Marius Pandel, shareholder AnimaWings. ”The Airbus 220-300 aircraft is the star of the market with unique features and performance. In Romania there has been no such aircraft so far, this delivery is a premiere for our partners at Airbus. However, worldwide it is in the fleet of major companies such as Air France, AirBaltic, SWISS, Delta Airlines, ITA Airways, Egypt Air or Air Canada. The Airbus 220-300 is a very reliable aircraft, in line with the current trends and suitable  both for the business segment as well as passengers flying to holiday destinations, accompanied by  family and loved ones. The unique configuration goes beyond the conventional design, with generous seating room and a wide range of in-flight entertainment options – we’ll have wifi on board, spacious aisles and bright windows giving a radiant ambience on board – fully embodies AnimaWings commitment to excellence in aviation. We will focus on the quality of services on board the aircraft, in the airport and will be offering a complete experience to AnimaWings passengers”, Marius Pandel pointed out.

The A220 has 140/149 seats, 12 reclining business seats, with far more leg room far compared to other models on the market and five seats in each row. The aircraft produces 50% less noise, 30% less pollution and consumes 25% less fuel than an older generation aircraft. AnimaWings currently operates the Airbus A320-200 aircraft type. Starting in summer 2024, the first two Airbus 220-300 aircraft, purchased under an operating lease, will also arrive.

The Airbus A320NEO aircraft will be allocated to destinations where increased capacity is needed. AnimaWings operates flights from Henri Coandă Airport in Bucharest and from nine other cities in the country.

The operating schedule for the 2024 flights is due to be published on www.animawings.com on 24 March, with the list of new destinations to be operated both domestically and internationally finalised by then. AnimaWings will operate this year flights to holiday destinations covered by Christian Tour and tour operators in Romania, as well as regular flights to major European cities.

”We want AnimaWings to be a Romanian project, based on quality, a company appreciated for the special way passengers feel from the moment they step on board our aircraft until they get off at their destination, with a smile on their faces. With the aircraft we will operate, we will not be a low cost as a business model, but a company that offers flight and travel experiences, correctly positioned in the range of price vs. quality offered, with various routes to business and leisure destinations”, added Marius Pandel, shareholder of AnimaWings.