The ‘knowledgeable and accessible‘ aviation team at AZB & Partners runs the gamut of transactional and regulatory work, routinely instructing lessors, financiers, and airlines on restructuring transactions, leaseback agreements, and aircraft purchases. Anand Shah heads up the ‘very proactive team‘ and handles aircraft deregistration and repossession, aircraft financing, and aviation-related banking and financing matters; Hufriz Wadia is another key name on this front. Rishiraj Baruah attracts praise for his ‘practical and pragmatic’ advice, while Sarah Rufus specialises in purchase and maintenance agreement advice for aircraft and engine manufacturers.

Attracting client praise for its ‘proactive approach and thorough understanding of regulatory and commercial intricacies‘, Dentons Link Legal stands out for its strength across the full spectrum of transactional regulatory, and contentious work. Handling airport expansion projects, airline disputes, and joint ventures, the team is also well-placed to advise on engine and aircraft purchases and leasing. Atul Sharma and Anand Srivastava jointly lead the practice; Sharma takes point on corporate litigations, while Srivastava is the name to note for transactional mandates. Also in the core team is Abhishek Sharma, a key name for arbitration proceedings.

Counting major airports, domestic and international airlines, and key players in the defence industry among its clients, Kochhar & Co.’s aviation, aerospace, and defence offering leverages its full-service capabilities to advise on the full spectrum of contentious and non-contentious aviation matters. Managing partner Rohit Kochhar and senior partners Suhas Srinivasiah and Kaveri Srivastava jointly oversee the team; Srivastava focuses on corporate advisory and employment issues, while Vaibhav Joshi is the name to note for consumer disputes.

DMD Advocates counts leading Indian and international airlines, manufacturers, and investors on the full range of work related to aircraft financing, transactions, and disputes. In December 2023, the expanding team saw the arrivals of Vihang Virkar and Ayesha Rai; the two now co-head the team. Virkar is a key contact for aviation-related transactional mandates and also handles regulatory matters and enforcement actions. Aviation financing specialist Rai takes point on aircraft, helicopter, and engine leasing.

Rustam Gagrat and Uma Nagarajan jointly lead the aviation practice at Gagrats, which regularly advises major domestic and international airlines on cross-border aircraft financings and leasings, insolvency matters, and regulatory issues. Gagrat has extensive expertise in cross-border leaseback and aircraft financing matters, while Nagarajan takes point on restructuring and insolvency issues in the aviation space.

DSK Legal acts for airport operators and international airlines, handling tender documentation, fraud disputes, and airport operation matters. Key names in the team include infrastructure expert Anjan Dasgupta, Harvinder Singh, who advises airport operators and concessionaires, and Avinash Kumar Khard, a key name for project finance. Mohit Bakshi departed the team to White & Brief Advocates and Solicitors in December 2024.

Tuli & Co leverages its strength in arbitration, litigation, and insurance work to act for a wide range of aircraft and engine lessors on both contentious and non-contentious mandates. Seasoned litigator Saket Satapathy heads the team, which also includes commercial disputes expert Anubhav Dutta as well as Nimisha Shukla and Ishita Thakur, who act for Indian insurers and engine lessors in arbitrations.