A new Bombardier-Signature Flight Support memorandum of understanding, unveiled on Oct. 12, expands their cooperation.
Lee Ann Shay
Caption: Left to right: Bryan Malinak, Hoat Nguyen (Bombardier Mobile Team technicians); Tony Lefebvre, interim chief executive officer for Signature Aviation; Jean-Christophe Gallagher, executive vice president, services and support, and corporate strategy, Bombardier; and Annette Torgerson, Signature customer service rep.
Bombardier and Signature Flight Support plan to leverage each other’s strengths by expanding their collaboration. This partnership pairs one of the largest business aviation fleets with one of the largest FBO networks.
Earlier this year, the first step involved Signature deploying its concierge service—such as access to transportation, hotels and meals bookings—at Bombardier’s five maintenance centers in the U.S.; Bombardier’s London-Biggin Hill location will follow. “This brings a whole new level of customer care” to its maintenance facilities at Tucson, Arizona; Hartford, Connecticut; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Dallas; and Wichita, says Jean-Christophe Gallagher, Bombardier executive vice president services and support, and corporate strategy.
The new memorandum of understanding (MOU) unveiled on Oct. 12, expands their cooperation to include maintenance support and access to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
Through the agreement, Bombardier is positioning more parts, people and its Mobile Response Team vehicles at Signature Flight Support locations. By having the Mobile Response Teams and their associated capabilities at the FBO’s sites, Tony Lefebvre, Signature Aviation’s interim CEO, says this connectivity with Bombardier will allow it communicate customers’ maintenance needs faster so that Bombardier can expedite service.
This move also is a natural way to rapidly expand Bombardier’s infrastructure and get closer to customers.
As part of the MOU, the two companies will also partner on increasing the availability and use of SAF through the Signature Renew program. Signature converted 100% of its jet fuel at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and has pumped 4 million of SAF already. Lefebvre says Signature is committed to converting more fossil fuel to SAF and has expanded its availability to six locations. It also plans to roll out “book and claim” in 2022.
“What’s interesting about this partnership is that it’s multifaceted . . . (and) there will be more facets,” says Gallagher.
