2Excel Aviation has recruited Stuart Stanyard, a former finance director from engine-maker Rolls-Royce Plc's civil aerospace business, to its management board.

Based in Sywell in the UK, 2Excel was founded in 2005 by Royal Air Force pilots Andy Offer and Chris Norton, and has grown from The Blades Aerobatic Team to provide a suite of aviation services to industries including defence, security, engineering, survey, agriculture, events, travel and disaster response for the oil and gas industry.

Director Harant Singh comments: “Stuart is an incredibly important addition to our management board as we mature as a business and continue with our ambitious growth strategy. Fourteen years ago we started trading with just four people and four aeroplanes. Today we employ over 400 staff and have 30 aircraft, ranging from stunt planes to turboprops and Boeing airliners.

“To attract a senior finance professional of Stuart's calibre and experience is a measure of how far we have come as a business. His arrival greatly enhances our support function, which not only enables our charter, special missions and capability development divisions to operate, but crucially ensures we have the financial discipline and firepower necessary to meet the complex and growing aviation needs of our customers.”

Stuart qualified with PWC, working in Nottingham and Hong Kong, before joining Rolls-Royce in 1997. After a variety of increasingly senior finance leadership positions cumulating in the finance director for customers and services of its civil aerospace division, he left the business after 21 years in 2018. In his last role he worked closely with key customers to develop pragmatic solutions to complex issues and delivered significant efficiency improvements in the business evaluation and service contract review processes.

He was seconded as CFO to Hong Kong Aero Engine Services Limited (HAESL), a joint venture with HAECO, part of the Swire Group, one of the leading engine MRO providers in Asia for four and a half years from 2008 to 2012, driving a complete change in culture and finance/operational efficiency after the 2008 financial downturn.

2Excel has also become the latest airline to join Airlines UK, the association that represents UK-registered carriers.

George Offer, director of 2Excel Aviation's charter division, Broadsword, said: “Airlines UK plays an important role in representing the interests of carriers based and operating from this country and we are delighted to be signed up as members. Aviation plays an important part in UK plc and is a key driver of economic growth and prosperity. We at 2Excel are proud to play our role in creating exciting, high-value jobs in the sector across our four sites.

“We can lay claim to be the world's only aerobatic airline, thanks to our heritage as The Blades display team. Today we also offer bespoke travel of unparalleled quality aboard our fleet of luxurious Boeing 737 and Beech King Air aircraft, with the flexibility to meet passengers' unique schedules being a point of pride for our business.”

Tim Alderslade, chief executive of Airlines UK, adds: “We are delighted to welcome such a British success story into the membership. 2Excel is an emerging force on the market with a fascinating and truly unique business model. We look forward to working with it.”

Tim Procter, senior analyst, Broadsword, is pleased to see that 2Excel is having an impact: “It's not every day that a new British airline comes along. Lots have fallen by the wayside recently, so it's great an organisation with the deep pedigree of 2Excel Aviation is making its mark. And we aren't just filling a gap in the market; we've gone head-to-head with the incumbents and have won some big chunks of business.

“2Excel Broadsword has already had huge success in the charter market for sports teams and music events; the UK charter brokers and those in Europe have shown terrific support for our VIP Boeing 737 aircraft. Indeed, their loyalty has been tremendous, returning to us for several repeat flights for customers who love the product. Delivering what you promise has been key for us; the front-line aircrew have especially left a unique impression on the charterers.

“It's clear that the path is set fair for us to expand with new aircraft in exactly the same specialist VIP market in which we have been so effective.”