In our team, we have decades of accumulated experience acting for:

• airlines
• lessors
• financiers and the major transportation banks
• insurers
• maintenance repair and overhaul organisations
• airports
• airline associations.

This experience means our aviation specialist lawyers have a 360 degree understanding of how the aviation industry works, and can leverage that knowledge and experience to the benefit of clients without any re-invention of wheels or cost inefficiencies. Our approach is driven by listening to our clients’ commercial objectives, making sure we understand what it is that they want to achieve, within what timeframe, at what cost, and resourcing the job with the right team.

We are ranked amongst the top firms by leading legal directories for aviation finance and leasing. Our award-winning team has a well-established reputation for excellence. We have extensive experience in all areas of aviation finance and leasing, regularly advising international financiers and lessors on financing and leasing transactions and portfolio management activities.

We also have extensive experience of aviation litigation including all forms of dispute resolution, disputes arising out of operating and finance leases and disputes arising out of termination of leases. We provide regulatory advice and compliance, competition and state aid investigations, merger advice and act on all forms of accidents and incidents.

As well as our core team of aviation specialist lawyers, we offer wider services to our aviation clients through our corporate and commercial, restructuring, IP, employment, pensions, tax, and real estate specialist teams.

Deucalion Limited and CLSA Capital Partners

Advised on purchase and financing of two B787-800 aircraft on lease to Qatar Airways. The aircraft were purchased by a joint-venture vehicle set up by Deucalion Limited and CLSA Capital Partners.

DVB Bank

Advised on the refinancing of nine Asiana aircraft through finance leases.

Landmark Commercial Court case - loss of onward sale contract

Acted in the landmark Commercial Court case of Pindell and BBAM v Air Asia concerning claims brought by lessor for the loss of an onward sale contract arising from the late redelivery of the aircraft.

Deep vein thrombosis - worldwide litigation

Acted for airlines in the worldwide deep vein thrombosis litigation brought by claimants in the UK, US and Australia.

Major air disaster investigations

Acted on numerous accident investigations, major air disasters including the Lockerbie investigation and trial, and other high profile accidents and incidents.

Acted for numerous lessors and airlines in redelivery disputes litigated in the High Court in London and in international arbitrations and acted for both lessors and airlines on repossessions, restructuring and insolvency claims.

Aviation regulation

Acted for numerous airlines advising them on regulatory issues, and claims of both regulatory and commercial nature including EC 261 claims, advice on compliance with various EU Regulations including ETS, EC Reg 1008/2008, the PRM Regulation, state aid, consumer protection legislation, competition cartel and alliance issues, price fixing investigations, disputes with bairports, slots advice and transfers, EU blacklist work and regulatory safety compliance, ground handling disputes, and commercial disputes acting for airlines against all manner of suppliers and manufacturers.

Altavair

Advising Altavair on the acquisition, financing and leasing of more than 110 new and used aircraft. 

Aircraft portfolio disposal

Advising a major operating lessor on the sale of a portfolio of 37 aircraft. 

Transportation Partners

Advising Transportation Partners on the ECA-supported financing of 10 ATR 72-600 aircraft with a capital markets take-out option. 

Financing of new and used aircraft

Advising DVB, BNP Paribas, MUFG and other leading financial institutions on multiple financings of new and used aircraft for large operating leasing companies. 

PDP aircraft financing

Advising a leading bank on the PDP financing of multiple A320neo and A330 aircraft.

Indigo

Advised on multiple operating leases and sale and leaseback transactions.

Restructurings

Advised various banks and operating lessors in relation to matters arising from the restructurings of Virgin Atlantic and Malaysia Airlines and the insolvencies of Thomas Cook and Flybe.