Tag Archives: FBO

Signature Acquires Landmark for $2.065 Billion

Deal would make the largest fixed base operator in the world.

Signature Flight Support parent company BBA Aviation has agreed to purchase Landmark Aviation from affiliates of the Carlyle Group for $2.065 billion. Included in the deal are Landmark’s 68 FBOs in North America and Europe, and its MRO business, as well as its fleet of 64 charter aircraft and more than 50 other managed aircraft, which would give BBA its first involvement in the charter/management segment.  The Landmark charter fleet is the fourth largest worldwide.

The transaction, subject to approval by regulators and company shareholders, is expected to close early next year.

photo courtesy AIN

“The acquisition would enable customers to benefit from an extension of Signature’s industry-leading service offering and its operational excellence across a much larger network of high-quality locations,” said BBA CEO Simon Pryce. “Combining Signature and Landmark Aviation also would realize significant cost synergies as well as substantial tax benefits.”

Signature operates 133 FBOs in its worldwide network, and there is currently redundancy at 12 airports in the U.S. and Europe, including Washington Dulles International, Teterboro, Westchester County, Le Bourget and London Luton where the two chains compete, which could lead to some required divestiture.

The entire Landmark Aviation charter fleet is available only in FlightList PRO.

credit AIN Online

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Aspen Airport Forgoes Second FBO… For Now

Aspen airportThe Aspen-Pitkin County Airport is backing away from its plans to add a second FBO (fixed base operator) to the field.  Pitkin County announced yesterday it is proceeding with part of the airport’s planned upgrades, and one “environmental assessment” (EA) process laying out plans for a wider reconfigured runway to accommodate jets with wider wingspans, and a new terminal building.  The county will forego a second EA and the plans to add a second FBO and taxiway for private planes on the airport’s west side.

Currently Aspen airport has one FBO, operated by the Atlantic Aviation chain.  During peak summer and winter holiday seasons Aspen is one of the busier single-runway, single-FBO airports in the country.  In addition Aspen valley and its surrounding topography requires most jets to land and take off using the same approach/departure corridor to the east of the airport, requiring more planning and time needed to coordinate inbound and outbound aircraft.

Aspen Airport overhead

Aspen’s airport, from the mountains to the southwest.

Pitkin County was previously planning to put two EAs forward at once containing all elements of the master plan. But after meeting with with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) officials over the last few months, it has decided to simplify the EA process to focus on upgrades to the airport’s east side, making it less confusing and more cost-effective, according to a Pitkin County press release.

“Safety has always been the top priority at this airport. We will be reconfiguring the runway to meet FAA design standards to accommodate aircraft with wider wingspans that will replace the commercial fleet serving Aspen in the coming years,” noted airport director John Kinney in the statement. “We also need a new terminal to address existing safety and functional issues and to better serve the traveling public.”

Aspen Private Jets

Private jets at Aspen airport. (photo courtesy of Aspen Times)

FAA funding that would contribute to both projects was delayed.  Peacock said that FAA funding for the project wouldn’t be available on the timeline the airport had initially anticipated, necessitating a new plan for moving forward.  The FAA funding availability had decreased because of demand from other airports around the nation, the statement noted.

The second FBO and west side taxiway still could be relaunched at a future date under a different EA process, but it’s dependent on funding, the statement added.

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