Gama Aviation

Gama Aviation Ltd was established in 1983 by Marwan Khalek and Stephen Wright at Fairoaks Airport, initially providing aircraft charter services with one Beech Baron aircraft.

In 1984 GAL obtained its first AOC and commenced offering business aircraft management services with one aircraft under management in 1988. In 1991 the company commenced working with the Scottish Ambulance Service through Bond Aviation Limited to provide fixed and rotary aircraft. In 1997, GAL acquired Bond Aviation Limited business from Bond Helicopters Group as well as Heathrow Jet Charter, a charter brokerage business. Having established a core platform during the 1990s, GAL focused on expanding its UK aircraft maintenance and service business with the acquisition of Plymouth Executive Aviation in 2001, which provided maintenance capabilities. This was further enhanced by the acquisition of Lees Avionics in 2008, which enabled Gama Group to provide a range of design and installation capabilities.

In 2008 Gama Group acquired Airops Software, a software consultancy and developer of aviation productivity software and PrivatAir Inc (now Gama Aviation LLC), based in Connecticut, USA, which provided Gama Group with a meaningful presence in the United States, the largest business aircraft market in the world. Full FAA maintenance approval was granted in the USA in 2011. The Group opened a number of other bases as part of its international expansion, including in the UAE which offers aircraft management, charter, maintenance and FBO services. Gama Aviation FZ-LLC was awarded an AOC in the UAE in 2010, then in 2014, an AOC in Switzerland was awarded.

Further acquisitions were undertaken in 2011 (trade and assets of Mann Aviation Group Engineering) and 2012 (Ronaldson Airmotive Limited) which expanded Gama Aviation’s engineering and support capabilities. New bases were opened at Sharjah Airport (UAE), Geneva and Hong Kong.

On the 8th December 2014, Gama Aviation announced a merger (technically a reverse takeover) with Hangar 8 Plc, creating a company with an estimated market capitalization of £130 million. The deal is due to complete on 6th January 2015, with Gama Aviation Plc becoming the new listed stock.