About us
Aero is the largest aircraft manufacturer in the Czech Republic, and one of the oldest aerospace companies in the world. Our heart beats for the design, development, production, delivery and service of military aircraft to our customers worldwide.
founded in
aircraft produced
customers worldwide
employees
suppliers
Czech suppliers
Vision and Mission
We train the best fighter pilots to protect their skies.
Aero carries over 100 years of tradition in serving the best pilots in the world. More than 5 generations of fighter pilots trained on Aero aircraft. Through our platforms, our people and our values, we strive to continue the Aero legacy by delivering to military jet fighter pilots all the right systems, technologies and support that they need to continue to make our world a safer place.
Develop, produce and deliver the best in class jet training systems and services to customers worldwide.
Values
Our values are based on our heritage and proven track record. Consequently, we are:
Inventive
We are inventive and imaginative. We look for all possible ways to offer the best achievable quality at a reasonable price.
Competent
Our people are exceptionally competent to deliver true value to our customers. At the same time, we are constantly improving and learning new things.
Efficient
We do not waste our resources or time. We make the most of everything at our disposal and constantly look for ways to boost efficiency.
Reliable
Our customers, suppliers, partners, and colleagues can rely on us. We always deliver on our commitments and promises. Our products and services are just as reliable.
Executive Management
Viktor Sotona
President a Chief Executive OfficerViktor Sotona has served as president and chief executive officer of AERO Vodochody AEROSPACE a.s. since October 2021. Since then, Victor has concentrated on transforming Aero into a strong industrial aviation company focusing on the development, production, maintenance, and repair of its own training aircraft. He also strives to actively participate in the development and production programmes of other leading manufacturers in the aviation industry.
Before coming to Aero, Viktor Sotona was CEO of ERA, a leading manufacturer of multilateration systems and technologies for multistatic tracking and recognition. He had been with the company since 2000, gradually working his way up through various positions, primarily in trade and business development. Over his almost ten-year tenure as chairperson of the board of directors and CEO, he managed to build a strong, stable company that increased its turnover fivefold, and successfully established itself in the development, production, and implementation of systems that ensure air traffic safety for both civil and military purposes. ERA has been installing these systems for over 20 years, and has successfully implemented them in over 60 countries on five continents.
Victor studied aerospace engineering at Brno University of Technology, and gained experience during one-year internships at the University of Defence in Brno and the University of Glasgow. He also gained an MBA from Sheffield Hallam University.
In addition to his work activities, Viktor Sotona actively participates in the development of the aviation and space industry in the Czech Republic. In 2023, he was elected chairperson of the Czech Aerospace Industry Association.
Thanks to his extensive experience and expert knowledge, Viktor Sotona is a key member of the AERO Vodochody AEROSPACE a.s. management team. Under his leadership, the company strives to move to the next stage of its development, when it will be able to successfully expand into global markets and offer the most efficient jet trainers in its category.
Filip Gunnar Kulštrunk
Executive Vice President & Chief Commercial OfficerFilip Gunnar Kulštrunk is a businessperson with international experience, which he gained in programme management and leading major companies in the defence and aviation industries, as well as professional services. He is currently executive vice president for trade and marketing at AERO Vodochody AEROSPACE a.s. In 2012, he successfully completed the Global Early Careers programme at the University of Oxford within the BAE Systems group. In 2008, he gained a master’s degree in International Trade and Management from the Manchester Business School.
As vice president at SpaceKnow Inc., Filip was responsible for business development, sales, programme management, and overall performance of the defence and intelligence vertical segment. He dealt with the sales and management of defence programmes outside the United States, managed employee teams, and implemented functional business processes and tools for reporting, sales management, project management and employee development.
As project director at ERA & Omnipol, he was responsible for business development, sales, and project team management in securing and delivering contracts for both companies’ broad portfolios. He also managed strategic projects, and ensured maximum work share and value for the group.
Filip began his career in BAE Systems in Great Britain, and later moved to Sweden, where he worked as a senior analyst and later held the position of strategic planning manager. He then left for a senior consultant role at Ernst & Young in Stockholm, where he helped clients improve business performance and deliver an excellent customer experience. Thanks to his experience in trade and project management in the defence and aviation industries and professional services, Filip has been very successful in expanding the business territories of AERO Vodochody AEROSPACE a.s.
Petr Jinda
Executive Vice President & Chief Development OfficerPetr Jinda is an experienced technical leader and a professional with over 20 years of practice in aviation. Since October 2021, he has held the position of executive vice president for product development at AERO Vodochody AEROSPACE a.s., where he focuses on managing research and development with the aim of moving the company to a leading position in aviation in the Central European region. He is the only member of the executive management who has been with Aero since completing his studies, and remains loyal to it.
Petr is experienced in research and development management, and his expert knowledge in technical design, analysis, and configuration uniquely qualify him to lead development activities. His goal is to make AERO Vodochody AEROSPACE a.s. the leading integrator of aviation technology in the region, and to deliver high added product value.
Petr’s work experience at Aero includes a number of successful development projects, including the A320/A321 P2F FSS project for Singapore Technologies AEROSPACE, where he worked as a technical manager. He was responsible for leading an international team of 17 people and managing the development of the Frame Shell Structure (FSS) for the cargo doors on the main deck. Petr’s experience in the integration of composite structures in the aviation industry and knowledge of fuselage design methods were key for the success of this project.
As a manager, Petr has over 13 years of experience in leading development programmes and as a member of implementation production teams. He has practical knowledge of the DOA organisation and its departments, capacity plans, and short-term collaboration with suppliers. He has supported the business and marketing activities of the top management on a long-term basis.
Pavel Tůma
Executive Vice President & Chief Program OfficerPavel Tůma has over 18 years of experience in project management. He began his career in Komerční banka, and since then has gained much valuable knowledge in project management with successful delivery worldwide in the companies he has passed through.
At Aero, Pavel manages deliveries of the entire product portfolio to customers around the world, including general repairs and supply of spare parts. His responsibilities include the military and civil project portfolios, the Customer Care Department, the pilot training organisation, and Vodochody Airport. Pavel verifies and validates deliveries and, together with individual project directors, successfully leads project teams across the entire company to the maximum satisfaction of our customers.
After the first five years of experience in product and methodological support, he moved to Dorint Group, where he gained experience in foreign trade and management for Southern Europe and China. He then worked at CS Soft, initially as project manager, but rising quickly to project office director. After five years at this company, he joined ERA, where he became director of PMO, responsible for building the project office, project portfolio management, and its planning and coordination in collaboration with external partners. During his career, Pavel has focused on standard business deliveries, deliveries of ATC/ANS Safety Critical SW systems, deliveries of passive EW systems, and other comprehensive military and civil programmes.
Pavel holds an International Project Management Association certificate, and has many years of experience in the implementation of project portfolio management systems into company infrastructure. Thanks to his overall practice and experience in project management and project office construction, Pavel is able to successfully lead teams and achieve excellent results in project management and delivery realisation.
Luboš Tejkl
Executive Vice President & Chief People OfficerIn October 2021, Luboš Tejkl became executive vice president of employee relations in AERO Vodochody AEROSPACE a.s., where he ensures the formation of corporate culture, fair remuneration, and the development of diversity, recruitment and development of new employees, and the stabilisation of key employees of all technical competencies. Luboš has almost 30 years of experience in employee relation management across several industries, where he defined and delivered effective strategies for working with employees.
During his career, Luboš managed to build organisational and management skills during a period of strategic change in companies such as GE Capital, Česká spořitelna, and Tietoevry, and especially in GE Aviation, where he managed employee care in the turboprop division. Luboš can boast of many successful projects, such as the introduction of modern processes for working with employees, and the creation of strategies to increase their engagement and improve relationships in companies.
Luboš graduated in adult pedagogy at the University of Hradec Králové, and completed an MBA at Sheffield Hallam University as well as human-centred design at Stockholm Business School. Thanks to his knowledge and experience in employee relations that he has gradually built, Luboš is responsible for key tasks in internal communication and employee development. He also worked for a long time as a lecturer of strategic human resource management on an MBA course at Nottingham Trent University.
Among others, Luboš also supports our company’s social responsibility, and is an active member of several non-profit organisations devoted to people in need. With Luboš as part of the management, AERO Vodochody AEROSPACE a.s. can be sure that his experience and enthusiasm for employee relations will bring about positive change and growth for the company in this area.
András Huszár
Executive Vice President & Chief Financial OfficerAndrás Huszár has served as executive vice president responsible for finance at AERO Vodochody AEROSPACE a.s. since October 2021. Since joining the company, he has actively devoted himself to its financial stabilisation, and contributes to securing financial resources for its further long-term development and modernisation in information technology and digital transformation.
With over 30 years of international experience in financial management, especially in fuel energetics, András brings extensive know-how and many benefits to Aero. Before joining Aero, he held a number of important positions within MOL group.
András Huszár graduated from economics and planning at Corvinus University in Budapest, and then graduated from the prestigious IMD Business School in Lausanne. He also holds the international CFA certification. His expertise, strong organisational skills, and experience in an international environment are an important contribution to AERO Vodochody AEROSPACE a.s.
Thanks to his work and experience in financial management, András Huszár is becoming an important personality in the management of AERO Vodochody AEROSPACE a.s. Thanks to his work, the company has guaranteed financial stability, and is ready for further growth in the dynamically developing defence industry and aviation market.
Jan Čáp
Executive Vice President & Chief Industrial OfficerJan Čáp has over 20 years of experience in the automotive, electrical engineering, and aviation industries. He currently works as chief industrial officer of AERO Vodochody AEROSPACE a.s., where he supervises the production and assembly of aircraft and their components for commercial and military programmes. Jan is a key figure in the executive management, and is responsible for the optimisation of L-39 NG aircraft, general repairs of L-39 and L159 aircraft, and other production programmes.
Before coming to Aero, Jan worked as CEO of Moog Brno s.r.o., where he led the complete management and transformation of the company, including Lean methodology implementation, product portfolio optimisation, ERP implementation, and construction of new halls for three plants. He also has a wealth of international experience from working as Lean leader/head of component repair Wales at GE Aircraft Engines Services Ltd. in the UK, where he supervised general commercial engine repairs. As head of the GE Aviation Czech s.r.o. plant, he supervised the production and repair of turboprop engines and managed the entire supply chain.
Prior to that, Jan was director of Precision Castparts CZ s.r.o., where he was responsible for the operation and production of rotary parts for aircraft engines. He holds an MBA from Prague International Business School, and is a graduate of the Business Leaders/Leadership Development programme at Cranfield University in the UK. He also gained a degree in mechanical engineering from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at Brno University of Technology.
Josef Mašín
Executive Vice President & Chief Sourcing and Services OfficesJosef Mašín is currently executive vice president for purchasing and services at AERO Vodochody AEROSPACE a.s., where he deals with the purchasing and delivery of materials, drawing parts, and aircraft components. His strategic task is to arrange parts deliveries, quality control in the supply chain, and supply optimisation. In this position, he uses his skills in delivery management and supply chain operation.
Previously, he worked as vice chairman of the board of directors and chief sales officer at METALIMEX a.s., where he specialised in trading non-ferrous metals, steel, and raw materials. He also served on the board of directors at Měď Povrly a.s., where he specialised in copper and brass production for the construction and ammunition industries. In 2016, he was chief sales officer of MTX Group a.s.
Josef graduated with a bachelor’s degree in international trade, marketing and international finance and banking at Prague University of Economics. In 2022, he successfully completed an Executive MBA at the same university, where he wrote his thesis on “Management Systems in the Aviation Industry”.
Josef has extensive experience in purchasing and supply chain management in the industrial sector, and is skilled at supplier negotiation strategies. He also has experience in managing and developing relationships with suppliers, and evaluating their performance. In addition, he acted as acquisitions advisor at OMNIPOL a.s., where he took part in the acquisition of AERO Vodochody AEROSPACE a.s. and the successful completion of the L-39NG aircraft development project.
Josef has outstanding organisational and leadership skills, and is able to work in an international environment. He is an excellent communicator and negotiator who is able to collaborate with people at all levels of the organisation. He also has the ability to solve problems and find alternative solutions.
Fly with us
into the past
Information for business partners
Integrated management system and information for suppliers
Information for business partnersIntegrated management system
AERO Vodochody AEROSPACE a.s. has established and certified quality management systems as per AS 9100/ISO 9001, and holds all the relevant certificates both for the company as a whole and for partial processes for development, production, maintenance, and training of personnel for civil and military aircraft technology in accordance with the applicable international norms. For its in-house final production, it holds authorisations for individual activities, i.e. for development, production, maintenance, and maintenance training.
For subcontracting, it holds sub-approvals of the quality management system and special processes from individual customers or within the scope of the NADCAP.
Integrated management systemEthics and anti-corruption code
Aero protects its reputation and heritage as the largest Czech aircraft manufacturer and one of the oldest aviation companies in the world by ensuring an excellent reputation based on honesty, integrity, and trustworthiness. We want to ensure that our heritage survives for future generations by maintaining the highest standards of behaviour when dealing with people, organisations, and governments.
This code of ethics encompasses an entire range of business practices and procedures, and sets out the core principles of business integrity that will guide Aero and help develop a culture focused on cultivating our brand every day.
Compliance with export control legislation
As manufacturers of military and civil aircraft, we engage in international trade with aviation products, and understand the risk of misuse in violation of international efforts to maintain world peace. We are aware of our responsibility to protect goods and technologies from high-risk countries and terrorist groups. Compliance with business laws is part of our internal culture and key to sustainable development.
We have adopted an export rule compliance policy that stipulates strict requirements for social responsibility and adherence to the principles of international trade. We comply with the export and import regulations of the Czech Republic, the EU, and the United States, and do not export to embargoed countries or sanctioned entities.
We screen employees and business partners to ensure that all transfers and end use of our products and technologies are in accordance with export controls.
Information for suppliers
Aero is the leader and integrator of the Czech aviation industry. We collaborate with over 400 suppliers. 65 % of these suppliers are in the Czech Republic.
Documents and information for suppliersESG
AERO Vodochody AEROSPACE a.s. places emphasis on the environmental, social, and administrative aspects (ESG) of business.Our strategy focuses on reducing the environmental impact, strengthening social responsibility, and transparent company management.
Environmentally, we are reducing emissions, saving energy, and minimising waste. Socially, we support employee development and involvement in communities. Administratively, we employ transparency, and compliance with legal regulations and codes of ethics. For us, ESG is key to our long-term sustainable growth.