Kerry Lynch stepped into the role of editor of the&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;monthly magazine in May 2022 after serving with&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;for eight years. She joined&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;in December 2014 as a senior editor covering Washington and business aviation news. She has also served on Convention News teams, including as editor of&nbsp;HAI Convention News. Lynch previously spent 25 years with Aviation Week. During her time there, she reported for and later steered&nbsp;The Weekly of Business Aviation, oversaw business aviation content on the&nbsp;Aviation Week Intelligence Network, served on the&nbsp;Show News&nbsp;staff, and held roles as the Washington columnist for&nbsp;Business &amp; Commercial Aviation&nbsp;and&nbsp;Overhaul &amp; Maintenance&nbsp;monthly magazines. In 2021 she was honored with the National Business Aviation Association Platinum Wing Award for lifetime achievement in journalism and was the 2004 recipient of the National Air Transportation Association’s Aviation Journalism Excellence Award. She also has been a recipient of an Aerospace Media Award for business aviation (2022) and NBAA Gold Wing Award (2003, 2024). Lynch graduated from The Ohio State University with a bachelor of arts in journalism.

Editor, AIN monthly magazine

Kerry Lynch

Signature Flight Support’s market strength helped drive a 3.3 percent increase the operating profit of parent BBA Aviation, even with a softer-than-anticipated growth of U.S. business and general aviation (BGA) movements, BBA Aviation reported late last week. BGA grew 2.3 percent in the first five months of the year, slower than the 3 percent that BBA Aviation had anticipated, the company said in the release of its interim financial report. While June results were not yet posted, a slight contraction was anticipated in North America, based on Argus TraqPak data.

 


BBA Aviation still posted an operating profit of $180.5 million in the first half of 2018, up from $174.7 million a year ago. Signature contributes 87 percent of BBA Aviation’s underlying operating profit.

 


The FBO chain produced a 5 percent increase in organic revenue, and overall 15.4 percent rise, to $926.3 million. Signature’s profit, meanwhile, improved 1.8 percent. Increased fuel prices eroded margin a bit from 20 percent in the first half of 2017 to 17.7 percent in the most recent period.

 


BBA Aviation is continuing its investment in Signature, including with a new 20-year lease at Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Plans call for a new FBO facility and launch of its Elite service there, providing private transfers to and from commercial flights. Other investments include new fuel and revenue management technologies that will be rolled out through 2019.

 


The parent company's aftermarket service’s group, meanwhile, produced an operating growth of 8.6 percent to $32.9 million, in large part improving with license acquisition specialty legacy parts manufacturer and provider Ontic. CEO Mark Johnstone added that he sees a “strong pipeline” for growth opportunities at Ontic. Operating profit also benefited from the engine repair and overhaul activity, excluding its Middle East operations, which were discontinued.

New developments at FBOs including regulations and noise issues; legal disputes; openings, acquisitions and mergers.

Signature Profits Climb Despite Slower GA/Bizav Growth

Increased fuel prices eroded margins at Signature, however.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Curt Epstein

News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

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