Aviation

Our firm has a leading aviation practice and has been involved in some of the largest transactions in the industry over the last few years. We have established professional relationships with regulatory bodies in the industry, which helps us deliver value to our clients.

Our expertise covers joint ventures, structured finance, loan sale/leasebacks and dispute resolution matters. We represent various aviation industry players including helicopter companies, aviation logistics service providers and a proposed manufacturer approval aircraft service center.

OUR NOTABLE transactions

  • Advised a leading aviation company on a US$630 million (Six Hundred and Thirty Million US Dollars), five-year aviation logistics contract with a multi-national upstream oil major. The contract was widely acclaimed as “the biggest aviation contract yet, to be signed by an international oil company and an indigenous company in Nigeria” at the time it was awarded in 2010.
  • Advised a leading aviation company on a multi-million dollar agreement with the Cameroon Oil Transport Company (COTCO). COTCO is a company owned by Chad, Cameroon, Exxon Mobil, Chevron and Petronas. Under the contract, the aviation company is providing onshore pipeline surveillance and passenger transfer services to COTCO. COTCO is a special venture for extracting and transporting crude oil from the Doba oil fields in Chad, a landlocked country, to Cameroon via a 1070 kilometer underground pipeline that runs through three pump stations, a pressure reduction station, and an offshore export terminal.
  • Advised a leading helicopter company on an US$85 million (Eighty-Five Million US Dollars) finance and acquisition of six (6) Bell AW 139 helicopters.
  • Advised on a management and maintenance contract between a leading helicopter company and a southwest state government in Nigeria for the said government’s Bell 412 helicopters deployed for security, fire fighting, surveillance and other social responsibilities.
  • Advised an airline operator on its tender bid for lease of aircraft and management of the Bonny airstrip for NLNG.
  • Prepared, reviewed and negotiated the acquisition and financing of 6 (Six) Aircrafts for a leading aviation company.
  • Negotiated and reviewed transaction documents for a leading company in the aviation industry with respect to the lease of 20 (Twenty) Aircrafts from various countries around the world.
  • Negotiated and reviewed transaction documents for a leading company in the aviation industry with respect to the purchase of 12 (Twelve) Aircrafts.
  • Negotiated, drafted and reviewed documents for a Cameroonian subsidiary of a Nigerian aviation company in the acquisition and finance of an Aircraft.
  • Represented a leading aviation company in Portugal with respect to the de-registration and procurement of an Export Certificate of Airworthiness for its Aircraft, which was registered in Nigeria.

OUR NOTABLE LITIGATIONS

  • Suit No. NICN/LA/19/2011- Overland Airways Limited V.  Oladeji Afolayan and Caverton Helicopters Limited- Secured a favourable judgment on behalf of the 2nd Defendant in dispute relating to breach of an Aviation Training Bond for the provision of consultancy services to the Claimant.
  • Suit No. FHC/L/CS/1134/12: Caverton Helicopters Limited V. Nigerian Agip Oil Company Limited- Successfully represented the Plainitff in a dispute involving breach of a Helicopter Service Agreement between the Plaintiff and the Defendant.
  • Suit No. FHC/L/CS/1730/2013: Els Doorhein (As Trustee of Emergo Hoofddor BV; De Vos & Partners Advocaten and Liquidators of Denim Air BV) v. Arik Air Limited and 2 Ors.- Successfully obtained an order of court to arrest Air Bus A330-223 with Registration No. 5N-JIC and Air Bus A330-223 with Registration No. 5N-JID belonging to the 1st Defendant.

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