BBGA CEO Marc Bailey is this year’s outstanding contribution to aviation award recipient

Marc Bailey, CEO of The British Business General Aviation Association, is this year’s recipient of the prestigious Michael Wheatley Award for Outstanding Services to Aviation. Marc celebrates 15 years steering the largest national business aviation association in Europe, following a four-decade career working with blue chip aerospace organisations including British Airways and Cobham. He started his career as a technician apprentice with BA predecessor BOAC at London Heathrow.

Presenting him with the accolade coinciding with the Association’s annual conference and AGM on 11 March at London’s Royal Leonardo Hotel, London City, BBGA Chair Aoife O’Sullivan thanked Marc for his stellar contribution on behalf of the Association’s near 200-members, including successfully navigating BBGA through the pandemic.

Drawing on his strengths as a professional aviation engineer, Marc’s achievements at BBGA include working tirelessly on the progression of JAA, through to the inception of EASA; representing ECOGAS, while serving the original EASA advisory board for many years. Under Marc’s stewardship BBGA established an active Board of directors and the creation of specialist working groups to better serve its members.

In 2016 he negotiated a joint agreement between BBGA and the European Business Aviation Association, enabling all UK members to receive membership of EBAA and BBGA as one, delivering closer ties between the two trade associations.

Marc has earned the respect of the Department for Transport and UK Civil Aviation Authority. He established General Aviation for Business (GA4Biz) as a collaboration with the British Helicopter Association (BHA); ARPAS, the Drone Association and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. Such co-operation has proved to be highly effective and vital to the future development of aviation as this 2025 annual conference attests with its theme ‘Running Together.’

Marc Bailey worked as a Part 66 B1/B2/C engineer before graduating to line engineer and subsequently taking management roles with British Airways including Chief Project Engineer for the Boeing 777 and Chief Fleet Engineer for Concorde, Airbus and the BAC 1-11. Prior to joining BBGA Marc held the role of Head of Quality, Continuing Airworthiness and Training at Cobham Aviation Services (formerly FR Aviation), an organisation he joined in 1998. He

holds a degree in Air Transport Engineering from The City University and an MBA from Lancaster University.

Passionate about next gen

Marc is passionate about fostering the next generation of aviation professionals with his commitment to skills and training for the industry. Always at the forefront of discussions with Government and the CAA on the matter, he has worked with TRS to create the Aviation Skills Retention platform, latterly the recruitment platform. Here he provided an effective link between Government and industry, enabling the facility to be free to use at point of contact.

Marc chairs an impressive list of key industry groups and/or holds formal board positions which support aviation. This includes:Chair of the United Kingdom Airworthiness Strategic Forum (UKASF); Chair of the European Continued Airworthiness Group (ECAG); Chair of the CAA Finance and Service Forum (FSF); President and Chair of the European Council of General Aviation Support (ECOGAS); Chair of General Aviation for Business (GA4Biz); Board member and director of the General Aviation Awareness Council (GAAC) and Member of Next Gen Aviation Staff, Airfields, Tax and Regulations under the UK APPG (All-Party Political Groups for Aviation.)

“I have had the pleasure of working with Marc since 2011. His strong leadership and upmost professionalism were fully evident as he navigated the Association through the recovery of the global credit crisis, followed by Covid-19 and currently the increased scrutiny of protestors as we manage misinformation by these groups. Marc has worked with five different Prime Ministers and their civil servant teams, always operating with enthusiasm and a thorough attention to detail. Marc is a high-quality CEO and thoughtful mentor.”

Lindsey Oliver, Managing Director, BBGA

“I am very pleased to see Marc’s name put forward for this prestigious award which has been held by so many outstanding champions and advocates of our industry. An advocate is someone who will use the art of listening to understand positions, the gift of clarity to articulate to provide a voice of others and have the passion to press their cause. In Marc this industry is lucky to have a true advocate.”

David Kendrick, Head Airline Licensing Consumer & Markets Group, UK Civil Aviation Authority

About Michael Wheatley

Michael Wheatley held a leading role in the support advisory services to the UK Police and ambulance authorities and leading financial institutions. He died in 2006 and BBGA created the award in his name. Recent previous recipients include Marwan Khalek, Patrick Margetson-Rushmore, Tom Perry, Tim Scorer, Penny Stephens, Phil Lammiman, Brian Humphries, Wally Epton and Andrew Walters.

Some of the presentations from the BBGA Annual Conference and AGM held on Tuesday 11th March can be viewed on the Event Web Page https://bbga.aero/.

Thank you to all our Sponsors, Delegates, Speakers and Exhibitors who attend the event.

About BBGA

BBGA is the UK’s national trade body representing business and general aviation.  Formerly known as GAMTA and founded in 1970, its member companies span all facets of the business aviation sector.  BBGA represents nearly 200 companies, including airports, corporate flight departments, operators, aviation services organisations and aircraft manufacturers.

Media contact:

The Emerald Network

Alison Chambers/Liz Danner

T: +44 (0) 1420 560094. E: communications@emeraldmedia.co.uk

Paul Cremer

My name is Paul Cremer, and this marks my 42nd year working within the business and general aviation industry. Over this time, I’ve had the privilege of overseeing a diverse array of sector activities, ranging from aircraft charter and management to air ambulance services, ground operations, air traffic control, airport management, technology implementation, and the outsourcing services I currently manage.

In my role focused on delivering advisory, technology, and outsourcing services to aviation customers, I handle a wide spectrum of responsibilities. This includes overseeing International Trip Support, Operations Control Centre Services (OCC), Continuing Airworthiness Management Service (CAMO), Airworthiness Reviews, ARC Services, Aircraft Delivery and Re-delivery Support Services, Maintenance Coordination Services including AOG, Tech Ops (Maintenance Control Centre), and managing myairops software products. As the Head of Aviation Delivery, I lead the customer-facing delivery of Technology & Outsourcing products and services for the market, drawing upon a wealth of knowledge, expertise, and industry connections within Gama Aviation’s Technology and Outsourcing Strategic Business Unit.

My journey into Business and General Aviation began during my teenage years while still in school. I was fortunate enough to be welcomed into the industry, starting at a flying club, and later working at the Air Traffic Services Unit at Blackbushe Airport. There, I maintained the ATC Movement Logs in the Control Tower during weekends, solidifying my passion for aviation. Upon completing my schooling, I seized opportunities at Fairoaks Airport, where I began as Ground Crew while pursuing my Aerodrome Flight Information Service Officer’s license. Advancements in my career led me to the role of Air Traffic Services Manager.

Since joining Gama Aviation in 1996, I’ve held various positions, including Operations Manager (Post Holder), Operations & Commercial Manager, Commercial Manager, Operations Delivery Manager, Head of Business Aviation Delivery, and currently, Head of Aviation Delivery. This role encompasses Gama Aviation Group’s Gama Aviation, myairops, and FlyerTech companies.

In 2023, I was honoured to be invited to serve as the Chair of the Operations Working Group for the British Business & General Aviation Association. This opportunity allows me to contribute to industry initiatives within BBGA’s membership of nearly 200 industry companies, focusing on challenges such as regulatory compliance, Air Services Agreements, technological advancements, workforce development, operational matters, and sustainability.

Marc Bailey

Marc Bailey has spent his entire career in aviation and has worked in most areas of Aviation Services with scheduled airlines, MRO’s, military contract support and latterly with associations, government, and its agencies.

Marc represents your position in Europe (even post Brexit) – as President of ECOGAS (European Council of General Aviation Support) which maintains a voice with EASA. All the major member states are represented on the ECOGAS board. With EASA restructuring its meetings with industry, ECOGAS is now well positioned to represent our position in all areas following industry partnerships with the European Independent Maintenance Group and with ARPAS the new drone and autonomous association.

Marc is chair of the UKASF (United Kingdom Airworthiness Strategic Forum) as part of an initiative to develop Aviation Services across all aviation activities. The UKASF pulls together airlines, MROs, Rotary, Drones, and commercial GA bodies to work with CAA and DfT. The objective is for industry to take the lead to drive strategic issues to benefit all parties. We are well positioned after four years to continue our good work and with the re-established role of Chief Surveyor in the CAA we have a good focal point to do this.

Marc chairs the CAA Finance and Services Forum which allows industry in the UK to discuss in the financial plans for the CAA and the value for money delivered by those funds paid by industry. This is a new and valuable new platform for all parties.

Under recent developments Marc has formed an alliance with, ARPAS, AOPA, BHA and BBGA so that we can strengthen our voice under a joint ‘GA 4 Biz’ banner. This alliance is working to do everything possible to represent the industry’s business interests with UK government and to help realise the Government’s desire to make UK General Aviation a Global Leader in a post Brexit environment. GA4Biz – GA4Biz

The next Generation initiatives with industry and government have continued to develop with the retention platform now evolving into the “Aviation Skills Recruitment Platform”. The platform now not only offers a vehicle for those offering and seeking posts in aviation, it also provides pathways with its TalentView portion seeking to provide pathways for new entrants into our sector. The recruitment platform is being further developed to include training opportunities across a wide range of providers, from government agencies through academic bodies. Getting our next generation activities right in the UK over the next couple of years is our single most important issue which we in aviation must grab with both hands. Marc is playing a central role to help develop many of these channels.

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Alison Chambers

Paul Cremer

Jason Hayward

James Moreton

James Hardie

Aoife O’Sullivan

Alex Durand

Marc Bailey

Sarah Towerzey

Heather Gordon

Lindsey Oliver