Aviation

Our market-leading lawyers act for banks, financiers, funds, lessors, airlines, service providers, manufacturers, export credit agencies, insurers and investors on the full spectrum of aviation matters.

Our teams have award-winning experience of purchases, sales, finance, and leasing transactions of all types, including new and used aircraft and engine deals (single, fleet and portfolio), and engine manufacturer arrangements. 

We also advise on operating leases and aircraft, engine, slots and receivables financings including commercial debt, finance leases, pre-delivery financings, JOLCO, tax leasing, Islamic financings, bond issuances, ABS, EETC, sukuk, and export credit, U.S. EXIM, and insurance-backed financings. 

Experience of the biggest M&A deals 

We have recently acted on the largest aviation M&A transactions, privatizations, side-car and servicing and maintenance transactions in the market. 

Our disputes team has extensive experience advising aviation clients including lessors, airlines and financiers on contractual disputes (both litigation and arbitration) relating to aircraft leases (e.g., delivery and redelivery disputes) and maintenance contracts, among other things. 

In addition we regularly act for aircraft lessors and financiers worldwide on enforcement and repossession strategies, including self-help remedies, court orders, and cross-border enforcement, and have aviation expertise in our corporate, real estate, global compensation and employment, and tax teams.

Successful track record in aviation disputes 

Alongside our transactional experience we lead the market in workouts, restructurings and aviation disputes, as well as sanctions, cyber, antitrust, data protection, trademark, reputation management and investigations advice. 

We handle a wide range of aviation regulatory matters including airline mergers and joint ventures, ownership and control considerations, licensing and traffic rights, slots allocation, and transactions involving slots, airport charges and access conditions. Our teams also have market-leading expertise in state aid, passenger rights, ticket distribution, and ETS, green aviation fuel and other sustainability matters.