BBA Group
Encyclopedia
BBA Aviation plc is a multinational
aviation
services company headquartered in London
, United Kingdom
.
BBA Aviation is listed on the London Stock Exchange
and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index
.
In 1911 it was re-named Scandinavia Belting and in 1925 it became B.B. & A. and then in 1967 BBA Group. In 1986 it acquired APPH, a business specialising in landing gear
. It formed Signature Flight Support in 1992 and in 1996 purchased Trinity Aerospace Engineering, doubling BBA's landing gear repair and overhaul business. BBA acquired more FBOs and aircraft repair and overhaul businesses in 1997 and, in 1998, purchased the jet engine overhaul businesses H+S Aviation in the UK and UNC Airwork in the US, along with further FBOs to extend the Signature network in the USA.
In 2006, BBA Group expanded its portfolio in landing gear and hydraulics, and component repair and overhaul, with the acquisition of Arnoni Aviation Services Inc. and Ontic Engineering & Manufacturing Inc.. Also in 2006 BBA demerged its materials technology division, which developed and manufactured nonwoven materials
used in the hygiene and medical markets and in numerous industrial applications, and friction materials for train brake
s. The demerged business was named Fiberweb plc, and BBA Group's name was changed to BBA Aviation to mark its transformation to a focused aviation group. In 2007, BBA Aviation made further bolt-on acquisitions and investments. Oxford Airport and Oxford Aviation Training were sold for £71.1m and the Signature network grew by a further 10 FBOs. BBA Aviation's parts distribution companies ITS and BTEC were incorporated into the ERO business and Commercial Aircraft Products, a Wichita-based hydraulics business, was acquired. Simon Pryce joined BBA Aviation as its new Group Chief Executive from GKN.
In 2008, Signature added to its network with the acquisition and integration of Hawker Beechcraft Line Service Division and the addition of FBOs at Munich and London Gatwick. ASIG began one of the industry's largest ground handling contracts at JFK International Airport's Terminal One and acquired Flygiene Ltd, an aircraft cleaning business based in the UK. ERO grew significantly its number of engine authorisations and secured various additional service contracts and extensions while Ontic established a UK base to support the expansion of its core licensing model and capabilities in Europe. In 2009, Signature entered into a commercial partnership with Aviapartner, adding Nice, France to its network. Signature US also signed a new five year contract with Netjets. ASIG made significant contract wins in the year including two large fuel services contracts at Washington Dulles International Airport and the renewal of system wide agreements with American Airlines, Delta Airlines and Frontier Airlines. ERO significantly expanded its network of regional and international support locations in line with the growing international requirements of its customers and, by the end of the year, had a total of 12 regional turbine centres and over 100 field service technicians – some based in the emerging markets of South Africa, India and Brazil. Legacy Support continued to grow its portfolio of licensed and acquired products and APPH supplied its first prototype landing gear system to Eurocopter France's EC175 helicopter programme for qualification testing.
In 2010, Signature added new locations in Montreal and Fresno and announced the launch of the Signature Status customer loyalty programme. ASIG significantly expanded its operations in Europe, taking its locations to 15, and began to service the Airbus A380 superjumbo in the UK. ERO opened its new F1RST SUPPORT customer support centre at Dallas Airmotive, a facility that provides real-time tracking of aircraft, assets and personnel. ERO also gained its first Asia engine authorisation and plans to establish a regional support presence in Asia in 2011. At the end of the year, IGS, formerly part of BBA Aviation's Legacy Support group, moved to become part of ERO in order to co-ordinate skills and maximise business opportunities with shared customers. APPH secured some important orders in the year, including a new Hawk programme for Hindustan Aeronautics with BAE Systems and the AW159 helicopter with Agusta Westland.
BBA Aviation is organised into two main business groupings: Flight Support, and Aftermarket Services and Systems.
Signature Flight Support has over 100 locations, many of which are situated in the world's busiest destinations for business and general aviation travel including primary business and leisure destinations in North and South America, Europe and Asia.
ASIG provides ground support services to commercial airlines at more than 70 major airports, primarily in the US and Europe.
BBA Aviation's engine repair & overhaul group operates 4 major engine overhaul facilities and 12 regional turbine centres in the US, Brazil and the UK.
BBA Aviation's Legacy Support businesses are based in Chatsworth, California, Slough, UK and Houston, Texas.
APPH has four locations; three in the UK at Runcorn, Basingstoke and Nottingham and one in Wichita, Kansas.
Multinational corporation
A multi national corporation or enterprise , is a corporation or an enterprise that manages production or delivers services in more than one country. It can also be referred to as an international corporation...
aviation
Aviation
Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
services company headquartered in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
BBA Aviation is listed on the London Stock Exchange
London Stock Exchange
The London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...
and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index
FTSE 250 Index
The FTSE 250 Index is a capitalisation-weighted index consisting of the 101st to the 350th largest companies on the London Stock Exchange. Promotions to and demotions from the index take place quarterly in March, June, September and December...
.
19th and 20th centuries
The company was founded by William Fenton and Walter Cobbett in 1879 as a manufacturer of textile belting for machinery named W. Wilson Cobbett Ltd.In 1911 it was re-named Scandinavia Belting and in 1925 it became B.B. & A. and then in 1967 BBA Group. In 1986 it acquired APPH, a business specialising in landing gear
Landing Gear
Landing Gear is Devin the Dude's fifth studio album. It was released on October 7, 2008. It was his first studio album since signing with the label Razor & Tie. It features a high-profile guest appearance from Snoop Dogg. As of October 30, 2008, the album has sold 18,906 copies.-Track...
. It formed Signature Flight Support in 1992 and in 1996 purchased Trinity Aerospace Engineering, doubling BBA's landing gear repair and overhaul business. BBA acquired more FBOs and aircraft repair and overhaul businesses in 1997 and, in 1998, purchased the jet engine overhaul businesses H+S Aviation in the UK and UNC Airwork in the US, along with further FBOs to extend the Signature network in the USA.
2000 to 2010
In 2000, BBA Group acquired Oxford Aviation, a UK-based pilot training company, and added FBOs in the UK. It the same year it sold its automotive friction materials division to HSBC for £389.2 million and moved from the Engineering to the Transport sector of the London Stock Exchange. BBA Group acquired ASIG in July 2001, significantly expanding its commercial aviation operations. In 2002, BBA Group acquired further FBOs in the USA and a freight and ground services business. BBA Group made a number of bolt-on acquisitions in the subsequent few years, including Premier Turbines, an engine overhaul business based in Neosho MO, and added a significant number of new Signature locations.In 2006, BBA Group expanded its portfolio in landing gear and hydraulics, and component repair and overhaul, with the acquisition of Arnoni Aviation Services Inc. and Ontic Engineering & Manufacturing Inc.. Also in 2006 BBA demerged its materials technology division, which developed and manufactured nonwoven materials
Nonwovens
Nonwoven fabric is a fabric-like material made from long fibres, bonded together by chemical, mechanical, heat or solvent treatment. The term is used in the textile manufacturing industry to denote fabrics, such as felt, which are neither woven nor knitted. Nonwoven materials typically lack...
used in the hygiene and medical markets and in numerous industrial applications, and friction materials for train brake
Brake
A brake is a mechanical device which inhibits motion. Its opposite component is a clutch. The rest of this article is dedicated to various types of vehicular brakes....
s. The demerged business was named Fiberweb plc, and BBA Group's name was changed to BBA Aviation to mark its transformation to a focused aviation group. In 2007, BBA Aviation made further bolt-on acquisitions and investments. Oxford Airport and Oxford Aviation Training were sold for £71.1m and the Signature network grew by a further 10 FBOs. BBA Aviation's parts distribution companies ITS and BTEC were incorporated into the ERO business and Commercial Aircraft Products, a Wichita-based hydraulics business, was acquired. Simon Pryce joined BBA Aviation as its new Group Chief Executive from GKN.
In 2008, Signature added to its network with the acquisition and integration of Hawker Beechcraft Line Service Division and the addition of FBOs at Munich and London Gatwick. ASIG began one of the industry's largest ground handling contracts at JFK International Airport's Terminal One and acquired Flygiene Ltd, an aircraft cleaning business based in the UK. ERO grew significantly its number of engine authorisations and secured various additional service contracts and extensions while Ontic established a UK base to support the expansion of its core licensing model and capabilities in Europe. In 2009, Signature entered into a commercial partnership with Aviapartner, adding Nice, France to its network. Signature US also signed a new five year contract with Netjets. ASIG made significant contract wins in the year including two large fuel services contracts at Washington Dulles International Airport and the renewal of system wide agreements with American Airlines, Delta Airlines and Frontier Airlines. ERO significantly expanded its network of regional and international support locations in line with the growing international requirements of its customers and, by the end of the year, had a total of 12 regional turbine centres and over 100 field service technicians – some based in the emerging markets of South Africa, India and Brazil. Legacy Support continued to grow its portfolio of licensed and acquired products and APPH supplied its first prototype landing gear system to Eurocopter France's EC175 helicopter programme for qualification testing.
In 2010, Signature added new locations in Montreal and Fresno and announced the launch of the Signature Status customer loyalty programme. ASIG significantly expanded its operations in Europe, taking its locations to 15, and began to service the Airbus A380 superjumbo in the UK. ERO opened its new F1RST SUPPORT customer support centre at Dallas Airmotive, a facility that provides real-time tracking of aircraft, assets and personnel. ERO also gained its first Asia engine authorisation and plans to establish a regional support presence in Asia in 2011. At the end of the year, IGS, formerly part of BBA Aviation's Legacy Support group, moved to become part of ERO in order to co-ordinate skills and maximise business opportunities with shared customers. APPH secured some important orders in the year, including a new Hawk programme for Hindustan Aeronautics with BAE Systems and the AW159 helicopter with Agusta Westland.
Operations
BBA Aviation employs around 10,000 people at over 200 locations worldwide. BBA Aviation is headquartered in London and has significant operations in the USA, with approximately three quarters of pre-tax profits currently denominated in US dollars. In recent years, the company has significantly expanded its operations in Europe and extended its reach in Asia, South America and Africa.BBA Aviation is organised into two main business groupings: Flight Support, and Aftermarket Services and Systems.
Flight Support
Flight Support businesses (Signature Flight Support and ASIG) are focused on the refuelling and ground handling of business and commercial aviation aircraft.Signature Flight Support has over 100 locations, many of which are situated in the world's busiest destinations for business and general aviation travel including primary business and leisure destinations in North and South America, Europe and Asia.
ASIG provides ground support services to commercial airlines at more than 70 major airports, primarily in the US and Europe.
Aftermarket Services and Systems
Aftermarket Services and Systems businesses (Dallas Airmotive, Premier Turbines, H+S Aviation, International Turbine Service, Barrett Turbine Engine Company, International Governor Services, Ontic and APPH) are focused on the repair and overhaul of jet engines and the manufacture and service of aerospace sub-systems and components.BBA Aviation's engine repair & overhaul group operates 4 major engine overhaul facilities and 12 regional turbine centres in the US, Brazil and the UK.
BBA Aviation's Legacy Support businesses are based in Chatsworth, California, Slough, UK and Houston, Texas.
APPH has four locations; three in the UK at Runcorn, Basingstoke and Nottingham and one in Wichita, Kansas.