1 September 2017

Air Partner plc

Baines Simmons Wins European Defence Agency (EDA) Consultancy Contract

Air Partner's aviation safety consultancy company Baines Simmons has been awarded a four-year contract to provide consultancy and training services to the EDA, supporting continued development and deployment of the full suite of European Military Airworthiness Requirements (EMARs).

Baines Simmons will provide EMAR development and implementation advice, guidance and training to the EDA and its 27 participating Member States. The programme will cover:

·      Continued evolution of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) baseline requirements

·      Safety Management System (SMS) implementation

·      Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS).

Baines Simmons has supported the development and implementation of Defence Airworthiness Requirements since 2002, working with MAAs, Defence Forces and Partner organisations in the UK, Europe and Australia. Baines Simmons' partnership with the EDA and involvement with the European Military Airworthiness Authorities Forum (MAWA) has enabled it to strongly influence the development of the EMARs. It is expected this will positively affect the airworthiness of military aircraft operated across the EDA's participating Member States for decades to come.

To date, Baines Simmons has already supported countries including The Netherlands, Sweden and Australia on their EMAR competence development. This year it has also been awarded a contract to provide aviation safety consultancy services to the Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO) to help improve and safeguard the airworthiness of all RAFO aircraft.

Mark Briffa, Group CEO of Air Partner plc, commented: "Over the last 15 years, Baines Simmons has built a first-class reputation for safety performance, having helped develop the skills and expertise of over 120,000 aviation professionals at all levels. Having served as a trusted advisor to more than 450 of the world's leading aviation organisations and some 45 national aviation regulatory authorities, we are extremely well placed to support the EDA as it further develops the EMARs."

Bob Simmons, Director at Baines Simmons, said: "We are delighted that the EDA has, for the third time, chosen to engage Baines Simmons to provide specialist support in the continued development and implementation of the EMARs. As recognised by the EDA selection, we retain an extensive in-house team of technical specialists experienced in both civil and defence sectors to assist with EMAR implementation, alongside experienced regulatory authority staff. The award of this long-term framework agreement will bring a level of stability, consistency and cohesion to the requirements, maximising the benefits to the participating Member States and European defence industries alike."

Henk Corporaal, Project Officer, Airworthiness, at the EDA, said: "The EDA has contracted Baines Simmons a couple of times for consultancy support in the last few years. From our experience, we learned that the company is a very knowledgeable and capable partner to support the EDA and its participating Member States in the development of EMARs. Now, as the focus of the MAWA Forum is shifting to addressing new requirement topics and implementation, we are very much looking forward to working with Baines Simmons in order to maintain the EMARs to the latest standards, as well as to develop best practices for implementation."

ENDS

Media Enquiries:

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Alycia MacAskill                                    M. 07776 253 482

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About Air Partner:

Founded in 1961, Air Partner is a global aviation services group that provides worldwide solutions to industry, commerce, governments and private individuals. The Group has two divisions: Broking division, comprising air charter broking and remarketing; and the Consulting & Training division, comprising the aviation safety consultancies, Baines Simmons and Clockwork Research. For reporting purposes, the Group is structured into four divisions: Commercial Jets, Private Jets, Freight (Broking) and Consulting & Training (Baines Simmons and Clockwork Research). The Commercial Jet division charters large airliners to move groups of any size. Air Partner Remarketing, which is formed within the Commercial Jet division, provides comprehensive remarketing programmes for all types of commercial and corporate aircraft to a wide range of international clients. Private Jets offers the Company's unique pre-paid JetCard scheme and on-demand charter. Freight charters aircraft of every size to fly almost any cargo anywhere, at any time. Baines Simmons is a world leader in aviation safety consulting specialising in aviation regulation, compliance and safety management. Clockwork Research is a leading fatigue risk management consultancy. Air Partner is headquartered alongside Gatwick airport in the UK. Air Partner operates 24/7 year-round and has 20 offices globally. Air Partner is listed on the London Stock Exchange (AIR) and is ISO 9001:2008 compliant for commercial airline and private jet solutions worldwide. www.airpartner.com

About Baines Simmons:

Founded in 2001, Baines Simmons is a world leader in aviation safety consulting, specialising in aviation regulation, compliance and safety management. It is a trusted advisor to more than 750 aviation organisations and more than 40 Aviation Authorities. Baines Simmons helps to advance best practice, shape safety thinking and drive continuous improvement to safety performance. This is achieved through its three service offerings: consulting, training and outsourced services. Through these services, Baines Simmons has helped develop the skills and expertise of more than 120,000 aviation professionals across multiple facets of the aviation industry. Clients include: KLM, SAS, Thomas Cook, Thomson, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, The Isle of Man Government, BAE Systems, MoD, Rolls Royce, Royal Air Force, Royal Navy, Airbus, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and UK Military Aviation Authority (MAA). www.bainessimmons.com

About the European Defence Agency (EDA):

Set up in 2004 as an agency of the Council of the European Union, the European Defence Agency (EDA) supports its 27 Member States - all EU countries except Denmark - in improving their defence capabilities through European cooperation. Acting as an enabler and facilitator for Ministries of Defence willing to engage in collaborative capability projects, the Agency has become the 'hub' for European defence cooperation with expertise and networks allowing it to cover the whole spectrum: from harmonizing requirements to delivering operational capabilities; from research and innovation to developing technology demonstrators; from training and exercises to maintenance and support to CSDP operations. The EDA also works towards strengthening the European defence industry and acts as a facilitator and interface between Member States' military stakeholders and wider EU policies with an impact on defence. In May 2017, Member States agreed to further reinforce the Agency's mission, including by making it the central operator for EU funded defence related activities. Based in Brussels with +-140 staff, the EDA is headed by Federica Mogherini, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy who is also Vice-President of the European Commission. Jorge Domecq, a senior Spanish diplomat, is the Chief Executive of the Agency since February 2015.