TAG Aviation Makes its Debut in Vegas,
Combining Aviation Methods, Aeroleasing

Luxembourg's TAG Group is using the NBAA venue to promote its new TAG Aviation, a management, charter and aircraft sales organization with more than 75 aircraft and annual sales exceeding $150 million.

TAG Aviation includes San Francisco-based Aviation Methods, the Swiss charter operator Aeroleasing SA, and Britain's Farnborough Airport, all of which were acquired by the TAG Group over the past year,

TAG Aviation U.S. will be based in San Francisco; its European counterpart, TAG Aviation Switzerland, will be based in Geneva. TAG Aviation U.K., based in London, will operate the Farnborough Airport, having taken over a 99-year lease.

Former Aviation Methods chairman and CEO Roger McMullin will be CEO of the holding company to which the operating companies will report.

"Business travel is becoming an increasingly global industry, and service providers will need to offer greater coverage and a higher level of safety and service in order to compete," said McMullin, who logged 18 years at Aviation Methods prior to accepting the CEO position at TAG Aviation last month. "TAG Aviation will make worldwide business travel convenient and economical for our growing customer base," he said.

TAG Group president Mansour Ojjeh said Aviation Methods and Aeroleasing reflect TAG's image and strategy of becoming the premier provider of high quality technical services in its chosen industries. He said the combination will create the global orientation necessary to set new standards in the business aviation industry.

"We have the foundation to build the most competitive aircraft charter and management company in the world today," Ojjeh said. He described Aeroleasing as "the biggest and best-known charter company in Europe," and termed Aviation Methods "the finest aircraft management company in the U.S."

TAG Group subsidiary TAG Aeronautics is known as the exclusive distributor and representative in the Middle East of Challenger products produced by Bombardier. TAG Aeronautics will continue to operate separately from TAG Aviation Holding.

TAG intends to turn the former military airfield at Farnborough, an hour's drive south of London, into a premier business aviation airport, using the facility to support its other lines of business. McMullin said London represents the largest business aviation market in Europe and that it is TAG's intention to make Farnborough Airport into a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to serving this market exclusively.

Aviation Methods provided aircraft management services for 56 business jet aircraft based at 18 locations in the U.S. and Europe. Aeroleasing owned and operated a fleet of 21 business jets with base operations in Geneva, and the Ukraine capital of Kiev.