The British Business General Aviation Association (BBGA) has elected Aoife O’Sullivan, Partner and co-founder of The Air Law Firm, as its new Chair and Alex Durand, CEO of aircraft charter and management company SaxonAir as Vice Chair, a new role, effective immediately.
O’Sullivan replaces Gama Aviation’s Marwan Khalek, who held the position for eight years. Khalek had announced his decision to step down at the BBGA AGM last month, highlighting that it was time for a successor.
Thanking Marwan for his sterling work over the years, Marc Bailey, BBGA CEO welcomed the new leadership: “In Aoife and Alex we have a strong duo with complementary talents to take our Association forward.”
“Marwan leaves big shoes to fill,” O’Sullivan said. “I’m looking forward to working with Alex, Marc, the BBGA Directorate and BBGA’s 18-strong Board of Directors in helping shape the future direction of the Association.
“We are in the midst of extremely challenging times with the uncertainty of Brexit. One of our priorities is to further the relationships we enjoy with other industry associations, as well as maintaining the excellent dialogue we enjoy with the regulators, including the CAA and DfT [Department for Transport].
“BBGA is the largest of the national associations and with the UK the second largest market for business aviation not only in the number of aircraft tails supported but in our aviation services businesses and all manner of supporting suppliers and specialists, we would like to see more UK businesses take up membership.” Expanding the membership and widening it with innovative new categories is also on the new leadership’s agenda.
O’Sullivan will serve for an initial three-year term, while Marc Bailey will represent BBGA at EBACE in Geneva, on May 21–24.