Aviation

Commercial insight from inside the cockpit.

Aviation deals are complex, cross-border and highly regulated. Our team guides airlines, operators, owners and financiers through every stage - from structuring a purchase to negotiating maintenance, leasing and traffic-rights agreements - so each aircraft earns safely and compliantly.

Clients choose us because we have sat in their seats. Consultant Kevin Bodley spent decades as General Counsel inside major UK carriers before moving into private practice, bringing an operator’s perspective on risk, cost and time pressure. We focus on what matters - clear diligence, watertight contracts and decisive negotiation - and signpost the practical next step at every turn.

Everything we draft is built to hold up internationally. Whether you are closing a sale to a Far East buyer, financing through a US lessor or fitting out an air-ambulance fleet for a UK charity, we anticipate multi-jurisdictional issues and keep your deal on course.
When incidents occur - from wing-tip damage on the ramp to redelivery disputes worth millions - our litigators understand the sector and resolve problems quickly while protecting value.

Who we help

Fleet acquisitions and disposals - operating, finance and sale-and-leaseback structures - engine, landing-gear and component support - bilateral traffic rights - MRO and ground-handling contracts.  

Purchase and sale agreements - management and charter contracts - crewing and hangarage - cross-border VAT and import advice - emergency response for ground incidents.  

Helicopter purchases, leases and financing - air-ambulance service agreements between charities and commercial providers - maintenance and mission-equipment contracts - CAA permissions.  

Joint-ownership structures - training-aircraft sales - club and syndicate agreements - continuing-airworthiness and insurance advice.  

Asset-backed financing - portfolio due diligence - securitisation - enforcement and repossession - residual-value protection.  

A selection of case studies

Boeing 737 Redelivery Dispute

After returning a fleet of Boeing 737-800s under a sale-and-leaseback, our airline client faced a redelivery claim alleging maintenance shortfalls and millions in compensation. We gathered engine-shop records, utilisation data and expert reports within weeks, then issued focused High Court proceedings that exposed flaws in the lessor’s valuation. Settlement followed shortly before trial: the lessor paid a multi-million-pound sum and full costs, vindicating the airline’s maintenance record and restoring capital for its next growth phase.   
Boeing 737 Seating

Template Contract Replaced

Small Jet Plane

In corporate jet sales it is common to see agreements that miss out basic protections for the owner. We stepped in on a deal worth just under $4 million, discarded the draft, inserted title guarantees, buyer indemnities and acceptance on delivery, then won signature without a price change. What looked like a routine transaction could have triggered litigation; our intervention turned it into a clean sale and gave the broker a safe precedent for future listings. 

Corporate Fleet Resilience

Blue Helicopter

A household-name client asked us to assemble a flexible corporate fleet: a Bombardier Challenger 350 jet and an Airbus H145 helicopter. We drafted purchase contracts, secured import and VAT clearance and put management and charter agreements in place so the aircraft could generate revenue immediately. Soon after, the jet suffered severe ramp damage in Antigua. We led insurer negotiations, preserved evidence and recovered full repair costs while keeping the helicopter operational. Travel schedules continued uninterrupted and asset values were protected.  

Template Contract Replaced

Small Jet Plane

In corporate jet sales it is common to see agreements that miss out basic protections for the owner. We stepped in on a deal worth just under $4 million, discarded the draft, inserted title guarantees, buyer indemnities and acceptance on delivery, then won signature without a price change. What looked like a routine transaction could have triggered litigation; our intervention turned it into a clean sale and gave the broker a safe precedent for future listings. 

Corporate Fleet Resilience

Blue Helicopter

A household-name client asked us to assemble a flexible corporate fleet: a Bombardier Challenger 350 jet and an Airbus H145 helicopter. We drafted purchase contracts, secured import and VAT clearance and put management and charter agreements in place so the aircraft could generate revenue immediately. Soon after, the jet suffered severe ramp damage in Antigua. We led insurer negotiations, preserved evidence and recovered full repair costs while keeping the helicopter operational. Travel schedules continued uninterrupted and asset values were protected.  

Experience & Expertise

Kevin Bodley leads the practice. He is a solicitor-advocate, accredited mediator and multi-engine pilot with General Counsel experience at Flybe and BMI and a track record that includes closing the sale of Europe’s largest cargo airline. Clients range from fractional-jet groups and regional airports to banks, lessors and maintenance providers, all benefiting from his blend of in-house pragmatism and private-practice rigour.   
Aviation Solicitors at Steele Raymond
"You have been informative, insightful, and on time, all of which has been much appreciated..."

Thank you for your support during what must be one of the most traumatic times in a person's lifecycle.

You have been informative, insightful, and on time, all of which has been much appreciated. Thank you to the team at Steele Raymond - this is the second time SR have pulled through for me.

Aviation CLIENT