New group wants all of jetmaker Eclipse

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - A group that includes current owners of Eclipse jets is offering to buy the bankrupt aircraft maker although the Albuquerque production line may not be back in operation anytime soon.

Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chávez announced late Friday afternoon that a buyer has made a bid for Eclipse Aviation. The maker of very light jets shut down earlier this year throwing its last 800 hundred employees out of work.

A new company called Eclipse Aerospace has offered to buy what's left for $40 million. Earlier indications were that the company might be broken up into pieces with various assets sold to separate buyers.

Chávez said he's 98 percent certain that Eclipse has been saved although there are few details.

If the sale goes through, Eclipse Aerospace plans to bring back some of the original employees a few at a time.

"This is extraordinarily good news for the city of Albuquerque," Chávez said at an afternoon news conference. "I believe it will come to fruition.

"These are serious aviation people that have been put together, serious entrepreneurs. No one knows for sure how quick the start up will be. They will have folks in the building starting next week."

Chávez said Eclipse Aerospace put down a $5 million nonrefundable bid for the company.

The group includes owners of Eclipse jets. They are said to be very confident this will go through.

The business would operate in the already leased buildings at the Albuquerque Sunport and Double Eagle II Airport.

Chávez said there is a chance that several foreign governments might offer competing bids.

The city doesn't want that to happen because then the assets and jobs would go elsewhere.

A hearing about the bid is scheduled for Aug 10 in bankruptcy court in Delaware. If all goes smoothly the sale is expect to close on Aug. 24.

Aviation trade publications have reported that the first priority of Eclipse Aerospace would be to provide much-needed service for the existing fleet of 260 Eclipse jets sold before the original company failed. Starting up new production then would happen sometime in the indefinite future.