Gama Group Confirmed as Partner for BAE Systems-Led Bid for Fixed Wing Aircraft Service Provision
Farnborough Airport, UK - Gama Group Limited (‘Gama’) has joined a partnership with leading British companies BAE Systems, Babcock Aerospace Limited and Switzerland’s Pilatus Aircraft Limited to offer a training aircraft availability service solution for the UK armed forces.
BAE Systems will lead the bid to Ascent Flight Training, the UK MoD’s Training Service Partner, to be the Fixed Wing Aircraft Service Provider (ASP) for the UK Military Flying Training System (UKMFTS) programme. Under UKMFTS, the UK MoD has a requirement to provide a range of aircraft platforms and systems available to train aircrew across the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force. Gama is working with BAE Systems and its partners to submit an integrated proposal to Ascent in January 2011.
The partnership has been created to provide Ascent and the UK armed forces with a flexible and harmonised service solution to support future flying training for elementary, basic and multi-engine disciplines over the next 25 years.
Utilising its breadth of experience in the competitive commercial and business aviation market, Gama will lead all aspects of the multi-engine elements of the proposal, including platform selection and an optimised through life support service.
Gama brings to the team 27 years’ experience running an established business aviation services organisation. Today it manages a varied fleet of 75 business aircraft from bases in Europe, to the Americas and the Middle East. Gama also provides a turnkey support service for the Scottish Air Ambulance fleet and retains a contract for current MoD operations.
Marwan Khalek, Gama Group CEO said: “We are pleased to be working on this important programme for the UK’s armed forces with three highly regarded partners. Having a detailed operational understanding, maintenance expertise and customer focus are all fundamental elements for this future UKMFTS programme. Gama has applied its entrepreneurial flair to developing a solution that offers Ascent and the MoD a high quality, value for money solution.”
About Gama Group
Gama is an international business aviation services organization, founded in 1983 in the UK by Marwan Khalek and Stephen Wright. The group employs over 300 at bases across Europe, the Americas and the Middle East, operating over 75 business aircraft. The group’s companies and affiliates hold EU-OPS, FAA Part 135 and UAE GCAA Charter Certificates, FAA Part 145 Maintenance Approvals, Part 21 Design and Manufacture Approvals and offer business aircraft charter, management, FBO, maintenance, valeting and aviation software services. The Group is headquartered at Farnborough Airport in the UK, with its Americas headquarters in Stratford, Connecticut and its UAE headquarters in Dubai.
Gama has a Part 145 maintenance operation at its Farnborough, UK and Connecticut, US bases UAE GCAA Air Operators Certificate. Gama line maintenance support for its owned and managed aircraft fleet, offering third party MRO support for aircraft up to Learjet size. It holds Part 21 design and manufacturing approval and expertise extends to avionics installations through its subsidiary Lees Avionics Limited.