Hear from Ishka Airfinance on the latest developments across aviation, then hear from industry experts on how these developments directly affect their roles. 

An introduction to aviation finance, exploring how airlines and lessors fund aircraft acquisitions and manage their financing requirements. This interactive session will break down the key funding options available, including bank debt, operating and finance leases, sale-and-leasebacks and alternative lending structures. Participants will gain an understanding of how aircraft financing transactions are structured, the roles of airlines, lessors, banks and investors, and the key factors influencing financing decisions, including aircraft values, credit risk, interest rates and market conditions.

Hear from aviation's senior leaders as they share their perspectives on the key challenges and opportunities shaping the industry, from evolving market dynamics and geopolitical uncertainty to consolidation, growth strategies, investment priorities and the outlook for the years ahead.

• What is the current state of decarbonisation in aviation? How have things progressed over the last 12 months?
• Has the balance shifted away from SAF as a decarbonisation pathway?
• What are the important global regulatory developments around sustainability?
• Heathrow expansion vs. Schiphol capacity caps: Where are the discrepancies?

An introduction to aviation capital markets, exploring how airlines, lessors and investors access funding beyond traditional bank lending. This interactive session will break down key financing instruments, including bonds, asset-backed securities (ABS), EETCs and private placements, explaining how transactions are structured, priced and executed. Participants will gain an understanding of the roles of issuers, arrangers and investors, the risks and returns associated with different structures, and how capital markets financing compares with other funding options.

• How have higher interest rates impacted appetite for aviation investment, and are investors adjusting their return expectations?
  

•  Which aviation assets, investment strategies and structures are offering the most attractive risk-adjusted returns? Has this changed in the last 12 months?

• How is the expanding role of private credit reshaping aviation investment, and where are investors finding opportunities to gain exposure?

• Are PE investors finding greater value in direct asset ownership, investing in private credit strategies, or acquiring stakes in aviation lending and leasing platforms?

• How are investors positioning themselves for the next phase of aviation investment, and what could attract further investment into the sector?

• From ETS to SAF and CORSIA, what sustainability compliance costs are already impacting airlines?
• CORSIA is entering a new phase, SAF blends are rising, and ETS is being reviewed - what do they mean for bottom lines?

• What do these costs mean for the future of airline credit risk?

• How can airlines efficiently manage these costs?

• What are the opportunities beyond the costs, and how can stakeholders value the environmental credibility these efforts bring?

For Accelerator participants only. 

A chance to network with senior industry professionals and learn more about their roles in the industry

• How are airlines choosing between leasing, aircraft ownership and alternative financing structures, and what is driving these decisions?

• How are airlines managing upcoming debt and bond maturities, and what challenges are treasury teams facing when refinancing?

• How are changing fuel prices, FX volatility, interest rates and geopolitical uncertainty impacting airline profitability, financing strategies and creditworthiness?

• From a lender and lessor perspective, how is airline credit risk evolving, and which carriers are emerging as winners and losers in the current environment?

• What recent transactions highlight shifts in airline financing strategies? Are airlines rejecting certain funding options, and if so, why?

• With entry into service targeted for around 2030 to 2031, what market share is realistic for new OEMs once range limits, production ramp-up and incumbents’ own next-generation plans are factored in, and is that enough to justify the capital they need?
• What financing models will get the first fleets into service, from public first-loss capital to separate battery financing, and how can they mitigate technology and residual value risk?
• Can thin-margin regional airlines afford to be launch customers, and how can the industry rebuild investor confidence after high-profile eVTOL and hydrogen insolvencies and delays?

Step inside the negotiation room and explore what really happens when airlines and lessors negotiate an aircraft lease. This interactive session examines the commercial priorities, competing interests and risk-sharing decisions that shape a deal beyond the headline lease rate.

Through practical scenarios and group discussions, participants will tackle key negotiation points, including maintenance reserves, redelivery conditions, engine flexibility and operational risk. Hear perspectives from across the industry and discover how airlines, lessors and investors approach negotiations, manage competing priorities and reach agreements that work for both sides.

What are the biggest risks facing aviation investors in 2027? This interactive forum will identify three critical risks that could impact investment strategies, asset values and returns. From geopolitical uncertainty and airline credit risk to financing pressures and residual value exposure, industry experts will explore where investors may be most vulnerable, how these risks are evolving and what steps can be taken to mitigate them.

• Is regional aviation transitioning from a niche investment opportunity into a mainstream asset class, and what is driving increased investor interest?

• How much investment is flowing into regional aviation, and who are the new investors entering the market beyond traditional aircraft lessors?

• How developed is the secondary trading market for regional aircraft, and who is actively acquiring and financing these assets beyond the OEM order book?

• What are the key barriers to further investment in regional aircraft, particularly around financing, liquidity, remarketing and residual value risk?

• Looking five years ahead, can regional aviation continue to deliver outsized risk-adjusted returns as the investor base expands, or will increased competition erode the opportunity?

• How has investment and financing of SAF projects progressed in the last 12 months?

• Bridging the financing gap: How do financiers view a 10-year offtake agreement with weaker airline credits? How do you look at development of these kind technologies? What are the financing products that need to be development?

• What terms are developers, operators and financiers looking for?

• What are the real financial opportunities? What needs to be catalysed in order to get those things going? Public markets need to get things going before the private takes over? Balance of public and private?

• Can credit risk be mitigated through commoditised/securitised financial products?
• What is the role Scope 3 buyers are playing today? 

Is the traditional public ABS model still attractive, or are private transactions becoming the preferred route for issuers and investors?

When does a JV structure offer greater advantages than securitisation? How do returns, control, flexibility and risk-sharing compare?

How are issuers weighing execution speed, cost of funding, investor appetite and portfolio characteristics when choosing a structure?

How are private equity, private credit and alternative investors influencing the structures used to finance aircraft portfolios?



Each panellist is presented with a deal scenario and must decide live if they would fund the deal, on what conditions, or if they would walk away.

• Where is aerospace venture capital heading after the market correction, and which technologies (SAF, hydrogen, electric, eVTOL or enabling software) will produce the next winners?
• How can startups fund the long, costly road to certification, and who provides the capital to scale once venture funding runs out?
• What do realistic exits and returns look like in aerospace today, and are investors still willing to wait for them?
• What will it take for lessors and traditional aviation investors to back next-generation aircraft, and should they be getting in earlier?

Put your newly acquired knowledge and communication skills to the test in this interactive public speaking workshop. The session will explore how to structure a compelling message, engage an audience, manage nerves and present ideas with confidence.

Working in small groups, participants will reflect on the morning's Accelerator sessions and prepare a short presentation on the most interesting or valuable insight they have gained. Each group will have the opportunity to present their key takeaways, practise their public speaking skills and receive constructive feedback, building confidence in communicating ideas clearly and effectively.

• How are engine availability, shop visit delays, rising maintenance costs and time-on-wing uncertainty impacting investment strategies, asset pricing and expected returns?

• Where are the strongest investment opportunities across narrowbody and widebody engines, and how do mature engine types compare with newer-generation platforms in terms of risk and return?

• What are the biggest barriers preventing new investors from entering the engine market, and what financing structures, partnerships or investment platforms could help attract further investment?

• What has been happing in terms of sustainability-linked financing? How big is that pool of capital?
• What is the latest in the taxonomy? What does that look like in the long term? Could there be abrupt climate policy change? How should firms factor that uncertainty?
• What are the opportunities? Could ECA guarantee structures open up new capital in European banks?
• Is ‘sustainability linked finance’ becoming “just another bucket” of capital along side JOLCOs and other pools? How does it sit in this part of the market cycle?

Step inside an airline treasury team and explore the financial decisions behind fleet investment, aircraft acquisitions and day-to-day operations. This interactive forum will examine how airline treasury teams manage liquidity, secure financing, navigate financial risks and balance short-term cash flow requirements with long-term fleet commitments. Through practical examples and real-world scenarios, hear how airlines approach funding decisions, negotiate with banks and lessors, and manage the financial pressures of operating in an increasingly complex market.

As private credit continues to establish itself as a key source of aviation financing, how is the market evolving and where are the most attractive opportunities for lenders and investors? Moving beyond the fundamentals, this interactive forum will explore how private credit deals are being originated, structured and executed, and how lenders are navigating increasing competition, changing borrower requirements and risk-adjusted returns. Through practical transaction examples, participants will examine what makes a deal investable, how different structures protect lenders and where private credit could play a greater role in aviation finance.