London Stansted airport-based Inflite the Jet Centre has acquired Bombardier Challenger and Global Express specialist Excellence Aviation Services. The purchase includes Excellence Aviation Services, its Part 145 organisation and CAMO, as well as its Part NCC aircraft management business Excellence Aviation.

With fresh investment and a dedicated home within Inflite’s 250,000 sq ft hangar space, Excellence Aviation Services’ line station activity will expand to offer full base maintenance at Stansted for Challenger and Global Express aircraft. Inflite, meanwhile, will continue to grow its Embraer executive jet MRO together with its BBJ work.

While London Stansted becomes EAS’s new headquarters, it will continue to offer line maintenance at London Oxford, Luton, Stansted and Farnborough airports. Its 12 staff will be joined shortly by two more licensed engineers who will further strengthen Inflite’s 60-strong MRO team.

EAS founder Colin Solley and partner Mike Smith will remain with the business and will play a significant role in shaping the group’s growth plans according to Inflite's managing director Christoffer Creutz, who joined from Lufthansa Technik two and half years ago.

“This strategic acquisition is a perfect fit for us,” says Creutz, acknowledging that the two businesses have been in collaborative talks for some time. “Excellence Aviation Services’ Bombardier capabilities and services complement our long-established activity on Embraer and Boeing BBJ platforms, and together with our dedicated VVIP corporate FBO at Stansted, we can offer a full turnkey solution to EAS customers too. The deal future proofs our business and we will duly be setting about cross training and sharing manpower to further expand our capabilities and UK coverage.”

EAS founder Colin Solley adds: “We are both delighted and honoured to be joining the Inflite family. We had a couple of potential suitors but Inflite was certainly the right partner for us. I have known Penny Stephens, the owner and CEO of Inflite the Jet Centre, since 1995 when I was director of maintenance for a family office flight department and the company has always had a terrific reputation for professionalism and outstanding commitment to its customers.”

Colin Solley founded Excellence in 2000, with Mike Smith joining in 2007. Between them they have over 55 years of experience in the business aviation sector.