Air Finance Journal
Ranked as the top global aviation firm for operating leasing by Air Finance Journal in 2024
Air Finance Journal
Ranked as a top 10 global aviation firm by Air Finance Journal
Named winner of seven categories
Winner of seven categories at China Business Law Journal's 2024 China Business Law Awards
Leasing and delivery of aircraft and engine assets
We completed over 100 aircraft and engine assets in 2024 alone.
Our global aviation team offers a strong team of specialist lawyers with decades of industry experience.
We cover transactional, regulatory, advisory and dispute resolution matters across Europe, the Middle East and Asia. We have a particularly strong reputation supporting clients with aviation asset financings and ongoing asset management. We also house one of the leading litigation teams for high-value commercial disputes in the UK.
Our approach sets us apart from many of our peers. We work collaboratively in partnership with clients over the long-term, which helps us to better understand the commercial strategy and key drivers for the business and in turn allows us to tailor our advice to best deliver against our clients’ goals. We also resource deals carefully and apply a commercial mindset to progress mandates as smoothly and efficiently as possible.
Our transactional, regulatory and dispute resolution teams are ranked across the leading legal directories.
我们的服务
Extensive experience in aviation litigation, arbitration, and alternative dispute resolution.
Highlights of our experience:
- Advised Ryanair DAC and Ryanair UK Limited in a high profile multi-jurisdictional competition claim brought by one of the largest UK online travel agents, On the Beach Limited, in the Competition list of the High Court. On the Beach alleged that Ryanair had commenced a smear campaign against the online travel agent, which interfered with its business. It was also alleged, that Ryanair abused its dominant position in relation to its flight time and pricing information by only allowing passengers to book Ryanair flights directly through Ryanair's website.
- Advised an airline in the judicial review challenge of the 'Traffic Light' travel restrictions imposed by the Secretary of State for Transport during the Covid-19 pandemic.
To see all our team's expertise, please visit our Aviation Disputes page.
We help leasing companies, lenders, and airlines by providing clear and practical legal advice to ensure that even the most complex of aircraft finance and leasing deals are closed successfully and smoothly.
Highlights of our experience:
- Advised on the purchase, passenger-to-freighter conversion and subsequent leasing of 10 Airbus A330 aircraft to a prominent American operator. This remains one of the biggest, and most complex passenger-to-freighter deals done in the market to-date.
- Advised on the pre-delivery payment financing, purchase and leasing of 4 Airbus A320neo aircraft with a Latin American operator. The operator moved into insolvency proceedings immediately prior to ex-factory delivery of the aircraft and we worked closely with our leasing company client and Airbus to enforce security under the financing, exercise step-in rights and take delivery of the aircraft for onward leasing to a third-party operator.
- Advised on the portfolio sale and outbound transfer of 37 Boeing and Airbus aircraft on lease to 15 airlines. This transaction involved significant project management and a deep understanding of cross-border legal and administrative considerations to close.
To see all our team's expertise, please visit our Finance, Leasing and Advisory page.
We help aviation clients manage regulatory risks and stay compliant so you can focus on your business.
Highlights of our experience:
- Advised airlines on the merits of a defence of “extraordinary circumstance” and the obligation to refund passengers in each circumstance; on potential enforcement actions from the Civil Aviation Authority and EU Consumer Protection Network; merits of setting aside default judgment and advice on any enforcement action by the County Court and High Court Enforcement Agents; and defending chargebacks issued by passengers and online travel agents under the Visa and Mastercard scheme rules claiming refunds for cancelled flights.
- Advised airlines in relation to disruptive passenger incidents, which included considering the merits of prosecution, preparing and liaising with local police to submit police reports; considering the recoverability of costs associated with the disruption on the flight; amending general conditions of carriage to protect the carrier and crew from such incidents, and preparing and implementing policies and training for crew, and advising on the rights of the carrier, namely denying boarding or banning a passenger from future flights.
- Advised airlines on proposed campaigns and compliance with the advertising standards and codes and assisting the airline to obtain the necessary approvals from Clearcast.
To see all our team's expertise, please visit our Regulation and Compliance page.
Highlights of our experience:
- Advised a major European airline in relation to an advertising campaign highlighting the airline's environmental performance and acting for the airline in a resulting investigation by the UK’s Advertising Standards Agency.
- Advised in conjunction with Japanese counsel on the legal framework regulating drone package delivery in Japan, implications of the use of drone for deliveries in Japan, legal aspects to be wary of in operating flights over Tokyo in particular by unmanned or remote controlled vehicles.
To see all our team's expertise, please visit our Aviation Sustainability page.
