BBGA CEO Marc Bailey wins Outstanding Contribution to Aviation Award

Above: Marc Bailey receives the Outstanding Contribution to Aviation Award from Aoife O’Sullivan.
Courtesy of Universal Aviation / Photo by Jacob Hurley

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.

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).

Lindsey Oliver, Managing Director, BBGA said: “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.”  

David Kendrick, Head Airline Licensing Consumer & Markets Group,UK Civil Aviation Authority said: “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.”

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.