The Aviation Group, led by Rory MacCarthy, comprises a small niche team of specialist aviation lawyers who represent a wide range of international clients including airline, manufacturers, banks and leasing companies.

The Aviation Group advises on all aspects of aviation law, including:

• Aircraft and engine financing
  
• Operating leases, wet leases and charters
  
• Sale and purchase of new and used aircraft and engines
  
• Aircraft conversion contracts
  
• Pooling, power-by-the hour and other maintenance agreements
  
• Airline and leasing company start-ups and acquisitions
  
• Computer reservation systems, conditions of carriage and documents of carriage
  
• Aviation insurance, including coverage disputes
  
• Regulatory matters including route licensing, code-sharing, slot allocation, ATOLs, noise certification and airworthiness issues
  
• Aviation litigation, including aircraft repossessions and other transaction disputes, air accident litigation, passenger claims and claims in respect of unpaid airport and navigation charges.

The group also utilises the resources of other relevant areas of expertise within the firm, such as asset finance, banking, tax, corporate, competition and employment.


Clients and experience

A selection of our clients:

• Air Gabon
  
• Air Mauritius
  
• Airport Co-ordination Limited
  
• Aircraft Financing & Trading B.V.
  
• Aviation Capital Group Corp
  
• Bank of Scotland
  
• Bayerische Landesbank
  
• Boeing Capital Corporation
  
• British Airways
  
• Cessna Aircraft Company
  
• Dart Group / Jet 2 /Channel Express
  
• Erste Bank
  
• Flybe
  
• Focus Aviation Group
  
• Iran Air
  
• Lan Chile
  
• LOT
  
• Mitsubishi Corporation
  
• Nordea Finans Sverige AB
  
• Pacific Coast Group
  
• Royal Bhutan Airlines
  
• SAS
  
• Sumitomo Corporation

A sample of our recent experience:

• Acting for BA in relation to lease extensions and amendments in respect of 14 Boeing 737-300/500 Aircraft
  
• Acting for BA in relation to the sub-leasing of 6 Avro RJ100 Aircraft to Swiss European
  
• Acting for Lan Chile in relation to a US$140 million Boeing 767 fleet rotable components pooling and maintenance agreement
  
• Acting for Flybe in relation to the purchase of up to 26 new Embraer 195 LR Aircraft
  
• Advising Iran Air in relation to litigation in Bordeaux against EADS Sogerma concerning the VIP reconfiguration and delivery of an Airbus A321-200 Aircraft
  
• Advising Iran Air in relation to a maintenance dispute with THY
  
• Acting for British Airways in relation to the purchase and JOL-based financing of 11 new Avro RJ100 Aircraft
  
• Advising Aviation Capital Group in relation to its securitisation of 30 aircraft worth US$750.77 million
  
• Advising Aviation Capital Group in the purchase of a new Airbus A321-231 Aircraft and its lease to Spanair
  
• Advising Lan Chile in connection with the sale and leaseback of two Airbus A320-233 Aircraft
  
• Acting for Lan Chile in its purchase of up to 60 new Airbus A320 family Aircraft
  
• Acting for Lan Chile in its purchase of 6 new Boeing 767-300 Aircraft
  
• Acting for Lan Chile in the Eximbank financing of a new Boeing 767-300ER freighter Aircraft, sub-leased to Fast Air (Chile)
  
• Acting for Lan Chile in its purchase of 7 new Airbus A340-300 Aircraft
  
• Acting for Dart Group/Channel Express in the purchase and financing of five Boeing 737-300 Aircraft
  
• Acting for TACA in its ECA-supported financing of 6 new Airbus A320 Aircraft (involving a "mismatch" loan and SPC leasing structure)
  
• Advising Sumitomo Corporation in relation to the purchase and financing of 2 Boeing 767-204 Aircraft, leased to Air Atlanta
  
• Advising Mitsubishi Corporation in relation to the purchase and financing of 5 new Boeing 767-300ER Aircraft, leased to Japan Airlines
  
• Acting for Aviation Capital Group in relation to the purchase and leaseback to Gulf Air and TACA of 4 A320 Aircraft
  
• Acting for Nissho Iwai Corporation in the oil-backed financing of a Boeing 747-300 Combi for TAAG (Angola)
  
• Acting for Channel Express/Dart Group in the passenger-to-freighter conversion of 3 Airbus A300 Aircraft
  
• Acting for Lan Chile in the negotiation of a US$120 million Engine Fleet Maintenance Agreement with GE Engines
  
• Acting for British Airways in the lease and sub-lease of two Boeing 737-400 Aircraft to Air One SpA
  
• Advising Nordea Finans in relation to the financing of an Embraer 145SEP Aircraft, leased to Eastern airways
  
• Acting for SAS in connection with the conditional sale of 4 Fokker F28-400 Aircraft to AirQuarius Contracts (Pty) Ltd
  
• Acting for Jet2 in connection with the financing by Barclays Bank of the purchase of 2 B737-300 Aircraft from Aircraft Leasing Pty Limited
  
• Acting for Jet2 in connection with a secured loan facility from Barclays Bank to finance the purchase of 6 Boeing 737-300 Aircraft from Ansett Australia Limited
  
• Acting for Bayerische Landesbank in connection with the lease of 5 Fokker 50 Aircraft to Air Nostrum
  
• Acting for Royal Bhutan Airlines in the purchase of 2 new Airbus A319 Aircraft
  
• Acting for Iran Air in the purchase of 2 Airbus A300-600 Aircraft from Olympic
  
• Acting for BA in the re-financing of a Boeing 777-200 Aircraft (AllCo / Alliance and Leicester).

Team and Reputation

Rory MacCarthy is listed in the current Euromoney Guide to the World's Leading Aviation Lawyers. He is also listed in the "Recommended High Flyers" section of Aviation Counsel, a 2001 report prepared by IATA and the American Lawyer media.

Addleshaw Goddard is also listed as a leading firm for its aviation practice in the current editions of the two major independent guides to the legal profession in England - its aircraft finance practice is listed in the "Asset Finance and Leasing" sections of the current editions of The Legal 500 and Chambers Guide to the Legal Profession and its regulatory and litigation practice is listed in "Aviation: airlines, airports and regulatory" section of The Legal 500 and in the "Aviation: Regulatory" section of Chambers Guide to the Legal Profession.