Somewhere I still have the application forms for a share offer by London European.
From memory, they came unstuck because of the lease/purchase agreement with BAF over G-LOND? Their only plane was 'sick' regularly and the costs of buying in a replacement were high.
Ryanair bought their AOC and 3 1-11s arrived on the register and a hope to increase flights to Amsterdam, Brussels and beyond. Soon became an IT airline. The aircraft registrations looked bizarre, but were a sequence of four letters for the first airframe, then the next was moving each letter to the right in the alphabet, if that makes sense?
Tony and the late Cathel Ryan were committed to Luton. The market was not mature enough for a scheduled airline. They eventually appointed MOL to boss Ryanair and the rest is history. I think Cathel was their Chief Pilot?
I am sure one of the bosses of London European went on to form Euro Direct? Certainly a link. Name Harford comes to mind?
Anyone remember the plans for Chiltern Airways (Fokker F27) and Air Excel (UK) intended using Embraer turboprops? Paper airlines trying to make Luton a scheduled airport around the Euroflight operation?