Buying or selling a commercial aircraft is among the most complex transactions in global commerce — multi-jurisdictional, technically dense, and unforgiving of detail missed. Our aircraft trading guidance service provides independent advisory across the full transaction lifecycle: valuation, technical record review, deal structuring, and execution support. We act for buyers, sellers, lessors, and lenders, and our role is to protect your position from letter of intent through delivery.
Buy-Side Advisory
On the buy side, we help you find the right asset at the right price — and confirm what you are actually buying before the wire goes out. Services include:
- Market scan and target shortlist — On-market and off-market candidates filtered against your operational and financial requirements.
- Independent valuation — Current market value (CMV) and base value opinions to anchor your bid.
- Technical records due diligence — Airframe, engine, and component records audited for completeness, life-limited part (LLP) remaining life, AD/SB compliance, and damage history.
- Physical inspection oversight — Coordinated pre-purchase inspections, including borescope, structural, and records-against-aircraft cross-checks.
- Deal structuring — Letter of intent, escrow, purchase agreement, delivery conditions, and reserves framework.
Sell-Side Advisory
On the sell side, we help you maximize value and minimize downtime. Services include:
- Pre-sale valuation — A realistic price expectation built from comparable transactions and current market movement, not aspirational pricing.
- Records preparation — Identifying and closing gaps in the records package before the asset is shown to buyers, so price erosion during diligence is contained.
- Targeted buyer outreach — Confidential marketing to pre-qualified operators, lessors, and investors matched to the airframe type and condition.
- Negotiation support — Managing buyer technical findings, deviation requests, and price-adjustment claims with engineering-grounded responses.
- Delivery and redelivery management — Workscope agreement, lease return conditions, ferry planning, and export-of-airworthiness coordination.
Valuation
Aircraft valuation is more than a single number on a one-page certificate. We provide opinions calibrated to the question being asked — half-life base value for portfolio reporting, current market value for an active transaction, distressed or forced-sale value for workout scenarios, and adjusted values that translate inspection findings and maintenance status into specific dollar movements. Our methodology references current trading data, comparable transactions, and the aircraft’s actual technical condition rather than generic averages.
Technical Record Review
Records are the asset. Incomplete or inconsistent records can erode price by 5–15% during diligence, delay closing, and in some cases cause a deal to collapse. Our technical record review covers:
- Airframe, engine, APU, and landing-gear back-to-birth or last-overhaul records.
- LLP status and remaining life on engines and gear.
- AD and SB compliance status, with terminating-action verification where relevant.
- Major repair and alteration documentation (FAA Form 337, EASA EMAR, Form 8110-3 / 8100-9 records).
- Damage history, including overweight landings, lightning strikes, bird strikes, and ground damage.
- Configuration documentation (interior, avionics, supplemental type certificates).
Findings are reported with photographic evidence and a clear list of items requiring correction, deferral, or price adjustment.
Transaction Support — From LOI to Delivery
Commercial aircraft transactions typically run 60–180 days from letter of intent to delivery, with multiple parallel workstreams — financial, legal, technical, regulatory, logistical. We coordinate the technical workstream end to end: pre-purchase inspection management, records audit, workscope agreement, repair and rectification oversight, delivery checklist execution, export Certificate of Airworthiness, title transfer support, and operator-of-record handover. Independent escrow is recommended on every transaction we advise, and we work with the major aviation escrow providers.
Why Clients Choose Our Aircraft Trading Guidance
- Independent and unaffiliated — We are not selling the airframe and we do not take a position. Our advice serves your interest only.
- Technical depth — Engineering and records expertise embedded in the advisory team, not outsourced to a contractor.
- Commercial discipline — Valuations and negotiating positions grounded in current market data, not anchored to a target.
- Process control — A documented checklist for every transaction phase, so nothing slips between LOI and delivery.
- Discretion — Confidential mandates handled with appropriate non-disclosure protections.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a typical commercial aircraft transaction take?
Most commercial airframe transactions run 60–180 days from signed letter of intent to delivery, depending on the complexity of the records package, the scope of any pre-delivery rectification, and the export and registration jurisdictions involved.
Do you represent both buyers and sellers?
Yes, but never on the same transaction. Each mandate is a single-sided advisory relationship, and conflicts are screened at the engagement stage.
How much can technical record gaps affect transaction price?
Incomplete records and unfavorable technical inspection findings commonly drive price adjustments in the 5–15% range, and in worst cases can collapse a transaction entirely. The earlier the gaps are identified and closed, the smaller the impact.