Dreams, Takeoff and Restart (Part I.)

Both were born in 1977. They did not know each other at the time, yet they shared the same boyhood dream. Branislav Cifra from Trnava wanted to become a pilot. So did Róbert Piľa from Bratislava. Both studied to become aircraft technicians – Branislav at the Secondary Vocational School of Aviation Technology in Trenčín, Róbert at the Military Secondary Aviation School in Košice.

Their first shared steps came only after graduation – first during military roll calls, and later on the local football field, where they played in their spare time. Róbert was finishing his fourth year when Branislav, after completing his studies in Trenčín, came to Košice for a course that would allow him to continue in the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic as an aircraft technician. After finishing school, Róbert was assigned to Kuchyňa Air Base near Malacky, and a few months later Branislav was deployed to the same base after completing his course. As friends and colleagues, they reunited at the Su-25 squadron, working as aircraft technicians.

However, the division of Czechoslovakia brought unexpected changes to the lives of these young men. The once-strong Slovak Air Force gradually underwent reorganisations, aircraft types were phased out, flight operations were reduced, and many skilled professionals left. Branislav’s vision of becoming a “Top Gun” faded into routine, replaced by frustration as he watched talented colleagues move into civilian life. He says the job no longer fulfilled him, so in 2003 he left the military. Róbert had left a year earlier. Branislav found work as a mechanic with a private airline, while Róbert even ventured into real estate.

The Leap into Entrepreneurship

Times were changing, though. Civil aviation was expanding and creating new opportunities. During the first decade of the new century, many new airlines emerged not only in Slovakia but also in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Romania. These carriers needed reliable partners for various services – especially technical ones. Continuous maintenance, without which safe and reliable air transport cannot exist, was essential.

Large airlines have their own maintenance teams at major airports. Smaller airports with lighter traffic, however, require flexible companies capable of serving several smaller carriers – from rapid technical checks to scheduled interventions in accordance with prescribed maintenance programmes. That is why, in Bratislava, a group of mechanics began to form around the idea of establishing a maintenance company focused on older Boeing 737 Classic aircraft as well as the newer 737 Next Generation models, which were increasingly present in Slovakia.

“The idea emerged spontaneously among people who had never done business before, had no economic or managerial education, but had a strong inner motivation to provide line maintenance in Slovakia and a vision to cooperate as effectively as possible with people who shared the same mindset,” explains Branislav Cifra about the company’s beginnings. He and a fellow aircraft mechanic stood behind the project. Their enthusiasm was so strong that, despite having secure positions at an airline that was then at its peak, they resigned. Especially as their former employer began facing financial difficulties, creating an opportunity to offer work to former colleagues. In 2008, Aeroengineers, s.r.o. was founded, employing fifteen mostly young, qualified professionals.

Although line maintenance does not require a hangar – much of the work can be performed outdoors on the apron – it still requires facilities, basic tooling, spare parts stock and operational infrastructure compliant with strict regulations. That required initial investment, which they had to secure.

They had no investor behind them and not even a preliminary agreement with a potential client. To operate commercially, they had to pass demanding international audits and so they applied. By the end of their first year, they obtained EASA PART-145 approval for maintenance of Boeing 737 jet aircraft from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Half a year later, they received approval for Airbus A320 aircraft as well. They then secured their first client, the Trenčín-based airline Seagle Air, which gradually expanded its fleet to include two A320-200s and four B737-300s for charter operations, primarily transporting Slovak holidaymakers to seaside destinations.

Lessons and a New Beginning

Despite a promising start, in autumn 2009 Seagle Air unexpectedly declared bankruptcy. Logically, Aeroengineers faced collapse as well. Bankruptcies of small airlines in post-communist Europe were not uncommon; owners often lacked sufficient capital and operational experience, accumulated debts, failed to pay invoices, taxes and social contributions, and frequently left employees unpaid.

Aeroengineers had to let all employees go – including friends – because there were no funds to pay them. The founders quickly realised their chances of survival were close to zero. Yet they did not give up. They searched for a new client and investor, determined to try again. At the turn of 2009 and 2010, however, their paths diverged. One of the owners left the business, but Branislav was not ready to quit. He had learned valuable lessons from the company’s collapse – among them, that in this industry, relying on a single client is too great a risk.

It is often said that success will eventually come, you simply need to be in the right place at the right time, with your eyes open. For them, that place was a shopping centre in Bratislava. Fifteen years ago, old friends Branislav Cifra and Róbert Piľa quite literally ran into each other there by chance. They sat down for coffee, reminisced, and arranged another meeting. A few days later, they agreed to try building a business together again.

And so, in 2010, they founded Aeroengineers International s.r.o. – today known as AEI^®.