The BBGA is a not-for-profit organisation aiming to represent the various activities conducted in business aviation. It is important to recognise that we represent businesses involved in a wide range of services. While the BBGA may sometimes be perceived as solely supporting business jets, even in operational terms, these activities can be extremely varied. At one end of the spectrum, special operations teams are engaged in work such as relocating equipment or surveying locations which deliver a very tailored service. On the opposite end, there might be a VVIP operation involving a Boeing Business Jet carrying numerous passengers and cargo. In the middle would be the more typical movement of passengers on specific business jets. Integrated within this activity are services that are vital to everyday life, such as search and rescue, medical evacuation, repatriation from conflict zones and connecting remote regions to the rest of the world.
Support activities are crucial in facilitating the delivery of operational services. For business aviation, these support activities are provided by Fixed Base Operations (FBOs), which serve as the equivalent of airport terminals. The maintenance activities are supported by maintenance, repair, and overhaul facilities. These maintenance organisations can either operate independently or be affiliated with major OEMs. The BBGA membership effectively represents all these activities.
The service industry behind this whole process includes legal, insurance, training, and financial facilities together with ground operations, fuelling, advanced technology, and research. Many of these organisations are members of the BBGA. These activities are central to aircraft ownership and are vital to enabling smooth aircraft transactions and supporting a rapidly evolving global market.
To ensure that members’ opinions are heard, we make use of several workgroups that are led by members themselves. Those workgroups are Flight Operations, Fixed Based Operators, Sustainability, Membership/events, and Airworthiness. To help focus our activities we have a board of directors elected by our members, each director serving a three-year term. We encourage a turnover in our board members to ensure a fresh perspective wherever possible.
The organisation undertakes its work on behalf of the members using a virtual office concept having transitioned from a physical locating two years ago. Our systems are now fully web-based, and all our services are delivered using modern technology, which offers great flexibility to both members and the secretariat.
The BBGA collaborates with the EBAA through a formal agreement to ensure that UK based organisations are represented by a UK based association, while also gaining the additional benefits of working with a major European association.
The BBGA works with the European Council of General Aviation Support (ECOGAS) to maintain a seat at the table with EASA to help shape legislation. This approach effectively ensures that the legislation adopted in the UK is well-suited and undergoes appropriate adjustments before being implemented under the ANO.
