London Executive Aviation has opened its first international office in Athens, Greece, and joined up with the AirClub consortium of major European charter operators.

The latest addition to the LEA fleet, a Citation XLS, is now based in Athens and is available for charter. The new office is being managed by Kimon Daniilidis, LEA's business development manager, south east Europe and the Middle East, who has more than 20 years' experience in the Greek business aviation industry. He is responsible for managing the aircraft, supporting customers and developing the new office, with a focus on new business opportunities.

Daniilidis says: “In spite of the current economic climate in Greece, the demand for private aircraft charter remains strong and now is an ideal time for LEA to establish a presence in the country. By basing the Citation XLS in Athens, not only is LEA well positioned to serve the Greek market, but also the Balkans, Turkey and the Middle East, all of which are emerging business aviation markets with lots of potential in charter and aircraft management.”

George Galanopoulos, managing director, adds: “The opening of this new office marks a significant milestone in LEA's strategy to widen the scope of its private charter and management services. Thanks to our considerable experience of managing aircraft on behalf of owners based in the likes of Russia and Estonia, we are very well placed to extend our expertise to new markets.

“In addition to the aircraft we now have based in Athens, we are currently talking to a number of existing and potential business aircraft owners in the region, with a view to adding their aircraft to our air operator's certificate.”

LEA is the first UK operator to join up with AirClub. Chief executive Patrick Margetson-Rushmore says: “Through the sharing of principles and processes, we look forward to playing an important role in further improving standards and enhancing the overall customer experience.

“Our diverse range of aircraft, from the Citation Mustang and Phenom 300, to the Legacy 650 and Falcon 2000LX, complements the AirClub fleet and will help to ensure that we can collectively serve the needs of every business aviation client.”

LEA becomes the ninth member of AirClub, which was founded in October 2012 with the mission of setting new industry standards through its alliance model. Christian Hatje, chairman of AirClub and PrivatAir's svp business aviation, says: “Our vision is clear: To be the most advanced, leading global alliance of corporate jet operators. Our wide variety of operators and experts makes us stronger than any other player in the industry.”

The announcement was made at EBACE. Hatje adds: “From the outset, it was clear that AirClub needed a partner in the UK, so we are more than happy to announce that our friends at LEA are joining the alliance and that AirClub now represents a fleet of more than 127 aircraft.

“As a premium player in the industry and a well-respected operator in the UK, LEA not only shares the AirClub values, but its great fleet is the perfect supplement for AirClub. Soon we will welcome business jet operators from the Middle East, Asia and the Americas.”