Safran Landing Systems, formerly Messier-Bugatti-Dowty, is a French company involved in the design, development, manufacture and customer support of all types of aircraft landing gear, wheels and brakes and a wholly owned subsidiary of Safran SA. It is the world's largest manufacturer of aircraft landing gear. The company can be traced to the establishment of a 50/50 joint venture in 1995 between France's Messier and the United Kingdom's Dowty Group, then owned by TI Group. Messier-Dowty was purchased outright from TI Group by the SNECMA group in 1998. The 2005 merger of SAGEM and SNECMA made Messier-Dowty part of the new Safran company. In May 2011, Messier-Bugatti-Dowty was formed through the merger of three Safran subsidiaries: Messier-Dowty, Messier-Bugatti and Messier Services. In May 2016, Messier-Bugatti-Dowty became SAFRAN Landing Systems. Safran Landing Systems operates a number of sites across the globe, in Asia, Europe, Canada, Mexico and United States; workshare is divided between these locations, each one typically specialising in an aspect of landing gear design, manufacture and support. Its main headquarters is located in Vélizy, outside Paris. The company's projects are divided into two business units: Airbus & European Programs and Boeing & North American Programs. History The origins of the company dates back to the formation of a 50/50 joint venture between the France-based Messier and the United Kingdom-based Dowty Group, then owned by TI Group, in 1995. That same year, the company announced its intentions to develop a universal landing gear platform that would be shared between multiple airliners; the aim of such commonality was a 20-40% reduction in the cost of the landing gear to manufacturers and end customers. According to Tony Edwards, the chief executive and chairman of the merged entity, while acknowledging the new entity had been experiencing some difficulties due to a lack of preparation, he regarded it as being: "a successful example of European integration that works". During early 1998, Messier-Dowty was purchased outright from TI Group by the SNECMA group. During 1998, the company decided to invest $30 million in the creation of a new US subsidiary, known as A-Carb, to produce carbon brakes for both Airbus and Boeing airliners. That same year, Messier-Dowty and Messier Bugatti teamed up to form a new SNECMA-held subsidiary, Messier Services, which specialised in delivering the maintenance of both landing gear systems and brake units. During late 1998, Messier-Dowty announced that, to support future product development