Entrepreneur Sir Alan Sugar has purchased a second Citation Excel, which will again be operated by London Executive Aviation (LEA). Md George Galanopoulos said: “The first Excel has been used a great deal by the owner and proved very popular with our charter clients, so he decided a second was appropriate. We’re also very pleased to make this addition to our fleet, which joins our other latest addition – a Citation Bravo added around two months ago to our Gamston operation.”

The Excel will be based at Stansted Airport and adds to an LEA fleet which already includes Senecas, Najavos, King Airs, Citation IIs, Bravos and the Excels. Said Galanopoulos: “People who charter the Excel are looking for something more than an entry level jet, like the Citation II or the CJ1. They want the stand-up cabin and the range that the Excel offers. It certainly appeals to customers who are used to flying in Hawkers, which are now getting a little old, and are looking for a newer aircraft with a similar sized cabin and equally good range.”

Asked whether he saw the Excels as a stepping stone into the longer range market, Galanopoulos replied: “It’s always a possibility, but there are no immediate plans. We probably have more jets coming in the near future, including Citation IIs, another Excel and Sir Alan Sugar has a Citation Sovereign coming in 2005.

“We’ve been steadily expanding over the last few years and now have a very diverse fleet, rather than concentrating on one specific aircraft type or market.”

The company has recently started fitting satellite phones in all its aircraft. “People asked why I was fitting even the King Airs with satellite phones, but I consider King Air customers to be just as good as jet customers. Communicating from the air is important, no matter what aircraft you fly in,” he said

The eight-seat Excel was previously operated by the now defunct Chauffair, on behalf of a company called Head Sports. “Although Sir Alan’s first Excel was brand new, this was a very low-hour aircraft (around 500 hours on the airframe) and was built about the same time as the first one, so it’s only 18 months old. For a mid-size cabin, it’s the perfect aircraft for Europe.

“I expect the trips it will make will be similar to our other Excel, including destinations such as Nice, Cannes and Malaga. The business customers travel frequently to Geneva, Zurich and as far as Milan and Athens.” Galanopoulos plans to add another Excel within the next year as the company focuses on the management side of its operations, rather than buying aircraft.

The md agreed that the charter market has changed since September 11. “We’ve had an increase in private individuals coming in and a reduction in companies. The US clients are coming back now, but there was a period up until the end of 2002 when people connecting with our aircraft from scheduled flights at somewhere like Heathrow almost died out. Since the beginning of this year these clients have been coming back, especially once the Iraqi conflict ended.”

LEA’s close association with the London City Jet Centre has also paid dividends. “London City’s always been a very good base for us. We moved there seven years ago, when we first started, at a time when there was absolutely no one there. When the Jet Centre was built we decided to have our own facility within it as the airport has always been a busy place for us. We’ve also recently opened a base at Farnborough and we’d look at any other place where there was an opportunity.”