Signature Aviation Acquires Castle & Cooke Aviation Services at Van Nuys Airport
Why It MattersThe deal shows how FBO consolidation concentrates capacity at high-traffic general aviation gateways, giving larger networks tighter control over access and service standards at critical business aviation markets.
What happened
Signature Aviation completed the acquisition of Castle & Cooke Aviation Services LLC at Van Nuys Airport (VNY) on September 15, 2026, expanding its presence in Southern California. The acquired facility has been redesignated VNY North and now sits within Signature Aviation's global network of more than 200 locations across 27 countries and five continents.
Tony Lefebvre, chief executive officer of Signature Aviation, said Van Nuys is "one of the most important business aviation markets in the world" and that the acquisition "strengthens our ability to serve guests in this critical gateway." He added that the company was "excited to welcome the Castle & Cooke Van Nuys team to Signature." Tony Marlow, president of aviation operations and business development at Castle & Cooke Aviation, said the company had been "proud to serve the Van Nuys community for many years" and called the deal "a natural next chapter for our team, our guests and the operation we've built together."
Signature Aviation said it had worked closely with the Castle & Cooke Aviation team over the preceding months to align operations with its safety and service standards. The company described Van Nuys Airport as one of the busiest general aviation airports in the world and said the acquisition increases overall capacity, access and convenience for guests traveling to and from the Los Angeles area.
Industry impact & what to watch
This transaction follows a familiar path in the FBO segment, where large networks grow by absorbing established independent operators at airports with constrained capacity rather than by building new facilities from scratch. Van Nuys, described as one of the world's busiest general aviation airports, is exactly the kind of location where an incumbent's existing infrastructure, staff and customer relationships carry more value than a greenfield build.
In this segment, the acquiring network typically works to align the target's operations with its own safety and service standards before or shortly after closing, as Signature Aviation said it did in the months preceding this deal. That alignment period matters because guests and based operators judge continuity of service through the transition, not just the change in signage.
What remains to be seen is how the rebranded VNY North facility performs under Signature's standards over time, and whether pricing, slot access or service levels shift for operators based at Van Nuys as a result of one fewer independent FBO choice at the field.
