Peter Smales, a former Executive Director Group Sales and Managing Director (Europe) for ExecuJet, has returned to the UK to head a new business sales and services company, Indigo Lyon, headquartered in Windsor, Berkshire. 

With activity focused on the UK, Europe, Middle East, Asia, Australia and the West Pacific Rim, the privately owned limited liability company will specialise in fixed wing and rotary aircraft sales and aviation services and will also be active in spare parts brokerage, consultancy, project & programme planning and execution management.

Indigo Lyon will also work with manufacturers and their international dealers in the promotion and marketing of innovative aerospace technologies. This includes support in collaboration with Aerion Corporation international representative, ExecuJet, for Aerion’s Supersonic Business Jet (SSBJ) in which Smales has enjoyed a close involvement and provided international sales programme leadership at ExecuJet for the past two and a half years.

Other expertise offered includes:
- Providing direct assistance in planning and setting up business aviation jet and helicopter operations and services businesses;
- Planning, selecting, securing and managing professional alliances providing a broad range of business aviation product and services including aircraft management, charter, maintenance, completions, delivery and registration;
- Selecting, securing and managing professional alliances providing business aircraft and helicopter airframe and engine spare parts and raw materials and component repair and overhaul services.

Smales’ extensive 25-year career in international aircraft sales and aviation commercial and business management began with Australian general aviation sales and services provider Hawker Pacific. This was followed by seven years at ExecuJet Aviation Group where he held a number of key global and European regional executive management positions responsible for the company’s global aircraft sales and marketing business across Australasia, the Middle East, Southern Africa and Europe and European aircraft management and charter operations, maintenance and FBO services. He originally founded Indigo Lyon in 2002 in Australia.

"Despite general industry concerns about the global economy, I am confident about the future of business and general aviation,” Smales comments. “The level and value of enquiries I am fielding from parties interested in the pre-owned aircraft I have already secured for marketing and resale is encouraging.” These include two young Bombardier Challenger 300s; a Learjet 40XR, a 2002 Citation Excel and a 1989-built Bombardier DHC-8-102 turboprop.  At the other end of the business jet product spectrum, the Aerion SSBJ, Smales notes that the economic downturn had not dampened interest in this exciting, new and very real world’s first supersonic business jet programme.