As the weather begins to cool off, the autumn events calendar heats up with a busy September/October schedule. We sent our consulting and ACMI teams to give you the inside scoop on happenings across the industry.
Our global consulting and leasing teams attended some of the world’s most popular aviation-related industry events. Here are the key takeaways.
What was on:
Airline Economics Growth Frontiers Europe, London (13-14 September)
The Airline Economics Growth Frontiers Europe, London event joins its sister shows in Dubai, Dublin, Seoul, New York, Singapore, Tel Aviv, and Tokyo, bringing together a host of experts from all corners of the airline operations, financing and leasing industries.
ISTAT EMEA, Marrakech (18-12 September)
ISTAT has become a staple event for many in the industry. Held annually alongside its global counterparts in the Americas and Asia, ISTAT EMEA continues to attract high-calibre delegates and speakers.
Aviation Africa, Kigali (12-13 September)
Now in its sixth iteration, Aviation Africa provides a platform for companies to discuss the unique challenges facing the aviation industry in and around the African continent.
Corporate Jet investor, Dubai (21 September)
Focussing on business aviation in the Middle East and Africa, Corporate Jet Investor’s conference in Dubai brings together over 200 leaders in the business aviation industry.
Airline Economics Growth Frontiers Middle East & Africa, Dubai (3 – 5 October)
Held at the Ritz Carlton, Dubai, this Airline Economics event focuses primarily on the economic challenges faced by the airline industry in the African and Middle Eastern regions.
What you need to know
Passenger
- While passenger airlines experienced a post-Covid surge in summer demand, supply chain issues continued to restrict airline recovery plans. Many are concerned about the upcoming winter season as demand wanes while challenges remain. A challenging economic outlook creates uncertainty around next year’s summer season and whether passenger demand can fully recover.
- The pause in fleet renewal and expansion plans over the Covid period is reversing. Airlines that have managed to weather the Covid storm are now placing orders for new aircraft to expand or renew their fleet.
Cargo
- Cargo rates and demand are starting to normalise with the resumption of long-haul commercial services, driven by the additional belly space that adds capacity to the cargo market. This is expected to normalise further as the recovery of international traffic to and from the Asian market progresses towards pre-pandemic levels. Due to a surge in demand for passenger-to-freighter (P2F) converted aircraft and the resulting pipeline of P2F aircraft set to enter the market, many predict the cargo market to fully normalise within the next 12 months.
Aircraft Values and Leasing
- Values of new and mid-life narrowbody aircraft have been outperforming other aircraft types. This has been supported by the surge in summer demand, supply chain issues affecting the delivery of new aircraft from Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and challenges in transitioning used aircraft. Values of other aircraft types continue to lag on recovery, most notably widebody aircraft, given the slow comeback of international long-haul traffic, particularly to and from Asia.
- Lessors are concerned about the increased cost of capital and what that means for lease rates. Combined with a slow recovery from Covid and a negative economic outlook, there is uncertainty on how well this cost increase will be passed to airlines and what that means for lessor financial performance. This uncertainty is further exacerbated by the mismatch in expectations between lessors and operators, with some airlines continuing to expect commercial lease terms seen during peak Covid-19 periods.
Maintenance
- To preserve liquidity, most airlines deferred heavy maintenance during the pandemic. The pent-up requirement for heavy maintenance has now been released as airlines look to deploy aircraft to match demand. As a result, there is a shortage of maintenance slots globally, creating significant issues in the timely maintenance and reactivation of operator fleets.
Contact ACC
Whether you’re an airline facing challenges, looking to grow capital, increase fleets, or pivot into new markets, our consulting and leasing teams are here to help.
We also work closely with lessors and investors, connecting them with our worldwide airline partner network.
Find out more about our asset management, technical services, aviation finance, and leasing services . Alternatively, talk to our advisory team directly on +971 4 250 0373 or email consulting@accaviation.com.
