New opportunities and strategies
Aviation has been one of hardest-hit industries because of the pandemic. With limited travel affecting deal activity, market participants are facing challenges and exploring innovative solutions in order to finance and maintain business continuity.
Clients are diversifying their portfolios and exploring different financial solutions. Our specialist team of experienced aviation, aircraft and asset finance lawyers, based in the leading regional hub of Hong Kong, is ideally positioned to help clients push forward with their strategies and capture new opportunities.
Multidisciplinary asset finance & aviation practice
The world’s leading financial institutions, lessors, lessees, operators and end-users, manufacturers, airlines, maintenance and repair organisations and freight forwarders come to us for advice on innovative and structured asset financing and aviation transactions.
Our lawyers are equipped with an international mind-set and local cultural sensitivity. We assist our clients with the most complex cross-border aviation transactions.
- On-the-ground presence. We distinguish ourselves with our strong foundation in the region with our network across Hong Kong, China Mainland, Australia, Singapore and Japan and major business hubs across the globe.
- Unique strength in cross-border and cross-office support. Our team includes members licensed to practice Hong Kong law, English law, and New York law, and PRC law in particular with the strong support from our Mainland team.
- Innovative and integrated solutions. Our multi-disciplinary approach means we can leverage teams across the KWM network to help clients navigate risks and operating hurdles.
Our seamless aviation, asset and structured finance and banking & finance teams allow us to cover a range of asset classes including aircraft (both commercial aircraft and private jets), vessels, motor vehicles, container boxes and other large machinery and equipment. Our work includes:
Financing
- Debt financing and security matters
- Unwind transactions and refinancing
- Pre-delivery payment financing
- Export credit supported financing
- Sale and lease-back financing
- Financial leasing
- Receivables financing
Trading and leasing
- Aircraft and engine leasing, sale
- Airframe and engine maintenance, inventory technical management
- Domestic and cross-border tax-driven leasing
- New aircraft acquisition from original equipment manufacturing
- Used aircraft and engines acquisition and disposal
- Aircraft portfolio acquisition and disposal and the related lease novation
- Operating leasing, wet and damp leasing
Licensing requirements, regulatory and commercial matters
- Licensing and regulatory advice
- Corporate structuring, joint venture and strategic alliances
- Competition law issues
- Establishment of aviation funds and investment platforms
- Enforcement, aircraft repossession and remarketing
- Export control and embargo regulation and policy
