Signature Aviation plc is a British multinational aviation services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom and listed on the London Stock Exchange.
The company has been known by numerous names over the years, having been founded as W. Wilson Cobbett Ltd in 1879; it was renamed to Scandinavia Belting during 1911, British Belting & Asbestos in 1925, and BBA Group during 1967. It has been a long term specialist in the manufacture of industrial supplies, particularly in the automotive and aviation sectors. During the Second World War, the company produced materials for British military aircraft, such as the Supermarine Spitfire, Hawker Hurricane, and Hawker Typhoon. By the early 1980s, BBA Group was the world’s largest supplier of brake pads within the automotive industry, supplying multiple vehicle manufacturers with its products.
During the 1980s and 1990s, the firm decided to increasingly orientate itself towards the aviation industry via a string of acquisitions and divestures, starting with the purchase of British aircraft undercarriage specialist APPH in 1986. By 1998, the firm’s wholly owned subsidiary, Signature Flight Support, had expanded to possess the world’s largest chain of fixed base operators (FBOs). During 2007, the company adopted the name BBA Aviation to indicate its identity as an aviation specialist. During late 2019, following the sale of its Ontic division to CVC Capital Partners in exchange for $1.365 billion; the company rebranded itself as Signature Aviation.
Industry: Aviation
Founded: 1879
Headquarters: London, United Kingdom
Services: Flight support
Website: www.signatureaviation.com