The Aviation Finance Conference 2018 on 2-3rd October will hear from a global line-up of top industry thought leaders on the aviation finance eco-system and how it is set to evolve in the context of potential demand patterns for aircraft financing amidst record order backlogs and increasing OEM run rates. The latest industry leader to be confirmed to speak atis Embraer Commercial Aviation CEO John Slattery (right) who will be interviewed on stage by Aviation Finance consulting editor Joe Gill.

Amongst the other leading figures in the industry speaking at the Summit are Aercap CEO, Aengus Kelly, CDB Aviation’s CEO Peter Chang and SMBC Aviation Capital's CEO Peter Barrett.

Other leading lessors speaking at the international event in Dublin include Goshawk CEO Ruth Kelly, who in five years has taken Goshawk Aviation from startup to a 'top 10' full-service aircraft leasing platform and Standard Chartered's Kieran Corr.

At the heart of the aviation industry is the airline industry, and its health and prospects are at the core of the conference’s attentions, as they are in Aviation Finance every fortnight.

How will the customers of the aircraft leasing industry, the airlines, view the future? In an on stage interview, Neil Sorahan, Chief Financial Officer of one of the world's (and Ireland’s) most successful airlines, Ryanair, will discuss how airlines will fund fleets in the next decade and, in particular, how this will differ from what they are doing today and the implications this will have for providers of capital and of assets.

The agenda and speakers are here. Booking details can be found here.

And also addressing the topic of airline fleet financing strategies of the future, Kieran O'Keefe, Managing Director, Aviation Financial Consultancy, at DVB Bank, will discuss issues around Debt v Equity, the impact of new accounting standards on debt measures and the competing challenges of narrowbody v widebody financing.

The conference will provide an unique analysis of the medium and long term capital markets and structural issues facing aircraft financing, with forensic sessions on leasing, trading, aircraft assets, and supply side issues.

Bob Morin heads up the Marsh/Boeing Aircraft Finance Insurance Consortium (AFIC) as Managing Director and Transaction & Business Development Leader, which is enjoying big success, arranging close to $1.5 billion in financing on 16 Boeing aircraft for five customers in its first year. Prior to the launch of AFIC, Morin was Senior Vice President of Business and Product Development at EXIM Bank and has been responsible for the expansion of EXIM Bank’s aircraft financing programme from a portfolio of approximately 300 aircraft to more than 1,100 commercial aircraft leased to airlines and aircraft leasing companies around the world out of the US and securing more than $50 billion in EXIM Bank loan guarantees.

Accounting, reporting, taxation and jurisdictional policy issues for aviation finance are also key topics at AFC 2018. EY’s John McCormack and Petrina Smyth will be analysing the options. A further tax dimension will be provided by Deloitte’s Pieter Burger.
Leading analysts whose names will be familiar to Aviation Finance readers will identify the factors that will be of greatest influence. They include Betsy Snyder, a Director in S&P Global Ratings Corporate Ratings group, a Trustee of the ISTAT Foundation and a member of the ISTAT International Appraisers’ Program Board of Governors. Snyder this Summer co-authored one of the most comprehensive analyses of ABS in aviation financing since the financial crisis. She will be joined by Cowen MD Helane Becker.

Aircraft Trading
John Leenane, Head of Trading at CDB Aviation, will provide a focus on trading matters, risk, deals, and value in a session at the event - the Commercial Aircraft Trading Forum - which will also feature speakers from other leasing companies including Bart Ligthart, head of trading at Aercap, one of the foremost traders in the market.

Other industry figures speaking include: ISTAT Board member Phil Seymour, President and CEO of leading global aviation consultancy IBA Group and the CFO of ASL Aviation Group Mark O’Kelly.

The Conference will provide an unrivalled opportunity to gain insights into the evolving business model strategies of the leading aircraft lessors. Booking details can be found here.