On Thursday morning, at at press conference at Luxembourg's Ministry of the Economy on Bld Royal, Luxembourg's Minister of the Economy, Etienne Schneider, announced two new FBO - in Mexico and the Caribbean - as well as the investment of a Chinese investment group which enables this, and future, expansion.
Minister Schneider also made an announcement concerning the investment of the China Minsheng Investment Group (CMIG) in Luxaviation which is enabling its global expansion according to its expansion strategy. "The financial and strategic support of CMIG allows Luxaviation to realise its global expansion, witnessed by the interwst of this Luxembourgish enterprise and its Chinese investor as well as the attractiveness of the Grand Duchy represented by the Chinese economic actors looking for international business opportunities".
Mr Dong Wenbiao, President of CMIG stated "CMI is honoured to be a shareholder in Luxaviation Group and to follow the development to where the group becomes the No.1 business aviation company in the world, with its activities in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Australia and, in time, in the USA. The opening and the purchase of two FBO point clearly in this direction".
Luxaviation is currently the seond largest business aviation group in the world. It operates 250 planes and employs 1,500 people world-wide. ExecuJet operates 24 ground installations (FBO) and 14 maintenance centres. ExecuJet remains a separate brand within the Luxaviation Group.
In the Caribbean, ExecuJet has acquired a ground installation (FBO) at Princess Juliana International Airport in St. Maarten, purchased from TLC Aviation, taking the ExecuJet FBO Network to 24 locations globally as part of the Luxaviation Group. The St. Maarten FBO offers ground handling, fuelling, air charter, flight plans, executive transport asnd accommodation services for both customers and crew. This facility opens today, 9 June 2016, as a rebranded ExecuJet facility.
Mike Berry, President of Aviation Services at ExecuJet stated "St. Maarten is the hub for the north-eastern Caribbean region, with access to mainland USA and Europe. Princess Juliana International Airport serves as a key location for the neighbouring islands and as such is ideally located to support the exclusive mega-yacht destinations of Anguilla, St. Barths and St. Kitts, the perfect complement to the private aviation market in the region".
In Mexico, ExecuJet today celebrates its first Mexican-based fixed-based operation (FBO) at Del Norte International Airport in Monterrey, Mexico, which started operations this week. ExecuJet Mexico manages 13 aircraft ranging from Pilatus PC12s through to a Falcon 7X with operations at Toluca International Airport and Monterrey International Airport, as well as Del Norte International Airport.
Patrick Hansen, CEO of the Luxaviation Group, stated that the group had a €600 million turnover in 2015 and that CMIG, backed by other Chinese investors, is investing in a Luxembourg-based fund to enable the growth of Luxaviation Group with the aim of it becoming #1 in the world.
Photo by Geoff Thompson (L-R): Dong Wenbiao, President of CMIG; Minister Etienne Schneider; Patrick Hancen, CEO Luxaviation Group
