Luxaviation (LXA, Luxembourg) has acquired the United Kingdom's largest charter operator in terms of market share and fleet size, London Executive Aviation (Stapleford). Under the terms of the deal, Luxaviation has acquired 70% stake in the British firm with LEA's founders retaining a 30% share in the company.
With the addition of LEA, Luxaviation Group now operates five European subsidiaries: Luxaviaton (Luxembourg), Luxaviation Germany (LXG, Paderborn/Lippstadt), Abelag Aviation (Brussels National), Unijet (Paris Le Bourget) and now LEA.
Marking the occassion, Patrick Hansen, the co-CEO of Luxaviation Group, said: “The integration of London Executive Aviation into Luxaviation Group represents a further important step in our international growth strategy and superbly complements Luxaviation’s market-leading operations in Germany, France, Belgium and Luxembourg. With economic recovery beginning to take hold across Europe, this is the ideal time to create a new force in European business aviation that harnesses the expertise, reputation and combined scale of the region’s most outstanding operators.”
Founded in 1996 by Patrick Margetson-Rushmore, George Galanopoulos and Amanda Galanopoulos, LEA operates a diverse fleet of 26 aircraft, ranging from the Beech (twin turboprop) King Air 200 to the Falcon 2000EX/EASY/LX series of business jest. It is also the largest European operator of the Embraer (EMB, São José dos Campos Professor Urbano Ernesto Stumpf) Legacy 600/650 business jet, with a fleet of eight.
As part of Luxaviation Group, LEA will continue to be led by chief executive Patrick Margetson-Rushmore and managing director George Galanopoulos.
