AZB & Partners‘ ‘formidable’ aviation team has significant expertise acting for lessors, financiers, airlines, manufacturers, and airports on the full range of aviation-related matters. Anand Shah leads the practice and is a seasoned aviation expert, handling multi-jurisdictional regulatory civil aviation matters, aircraft finance, and aircraft deregistrations and repossessions; he is supported by senior associate Rishiraj Baruah. The firm strengthened its transactional offering with the 2022 arrival of Haseena Tapia Shahpurwalla, formerly at Gagrats. Shahpurwalla is dual-qualified in England & Wales and has significant experience advising airlines on aircraft and engine lease transactions. Another new addition to the team is Sarah Rufus, who joined from an in-house position at an airline in 2023. All lawyers mentioned are based in Mumbai.

The aviation, aerospace and defence team at Kochhar & Co. advises an impressive roster of clients, including international and domestic defense companies and airlines, on the full range of sector-related matters, both contentious and advisory. The team has recently strengthened its Hyderabad offering with the arrival of senior partner and airport operations expert Kaveri Srivastava in May 2023. Another addition is Sharmil Bhushan, a key name for aircraft financing advice, who joined the firm’s Mumbai team in November 2022. Mumbai’s Sheetal Sabnis, who advises international and domestic airlines on financing, leasing, and commercial contracts, now heads the team following the 2022 departure of former co-head Ajith C.R.; 2022 also saw the departure of Nishant Menon.

The robust aviation practice at Dentons Link Legal runs the gamut of aviation and aerospace matters, handling commercial, contentious, and transactional matters for airlines, airports, contractors, and service providers across the industry. Founding partner Atul Sharma draws on in-house experience in the industry to advise on major aircraft fleet acquisitions, and is a key contact for contentious aviation matters; Anand Srivastava takes point on financing matters and large transactions, while Abhishek Sharma has extensive experience handling civil and commercial disputes for clients across the sector. The trio jointly leads the team. Also in the core team are corporate specialists Milind Jha and Namita Das. Neha Singh left the team in 2022 to go in-house, while 2023 saw the departure of litigator Milanka Chaudhury, now at Trilegal. All mentioned lawyers are based in Delhi.

The multidisciplinary aviation team at Trilegal leverages the firm’s expertise across multiple practice areas, including corporate, commercial, dispute resolution, and construction, to provide a full-service aviation, defense, and aerospace offering. Acting for airlines, global defense companies, and investors, the group is regularly instructed on high-profile and complex investigations, transactions, and disputes. The team also has notable strength in the space, satellite, and telecoms sectors and has seen an increase in instructions here. Delano Furtado, based in Mumbai, is the key name for defense, advising large international defense manufacturers on transactional and regulatory aspects, while Gurugram’s Yogesh Singh advises international aviation companies seeking to enter the Indian market. Litigator Ashish Bhan in Delhi, is also recommended. 2023 saw litigator Milanka Chaudhury join the Delhi office from Dentons Link Legal.

Gagrats‘s aviation offering has notable strength in transactional matters, advising on aircraft financing, M&A, and cross-border sales. Senior partner Rustam Gagrat and Uma Nagarajan have extensive experience in cross-border leasing, aircraft finance, and regulatory issues; the Mumbai-based duo jointly head the practice. Arpana Dhariwal is another key name for aircraft sales and leaseback.

HSA Advocates‘s dedicated and growing aviation practice stands out for its expertise in the defence sector, advising both international and domestic clients on market entry, regulatory matters, procurement, and licensing issues. Under the joint leadership of  New Delhi-based duo Amrita Narayan and Monali Dutta, the team draws on the firm’s broader dispute resolution, taxation, and corporate capabilities to provide a comprehensive offering across the sector.

The boutique airport transport and carriage practice at I.L.A. Pasrich & Company acts for domestic and international airlines and air service companies, handling both contentious and advisory mandates with particular emphasis on employment litigation and aircraft leasing.  Head of practice Amir Singh Pasrich has extensive experience advising on the full range of regulatory, compliance, contentious, and consumer-related aviation work; aviation litigation specialist Mohana Malhotra is another key name. Both are based in New Delhi.

ALMT Legal advises domestic and international airlines on regulatory issues, including aircraft registration and deregistration, and also handles sales, purchases, and leasing transactions. Cargo handling claims and competition law are other areas of expertise for the team, which is jointly led by dispute resolution specialist Sameer Tapia, in Mumbai, and aviation regulatory and advisory expert S.R. Arun, in Bengaluru. In August 2022, the team strengthened its aviation, asset, and structured finance offering in Mumbai with the arrival of Petrushka Dasgupta, previously at IndusLaw.

With strength in aviation regulatory matters and airport infrastructure issues, the aviation practice at BTG Advaya acts for airport services providers, airlines, and lenders. The team is headed by Ramesh Vaidyanathan, who has in-house experience as general counsel for a major Indian airport and who advises on bids for airport infrastructure projects, airport modernisation and development, and commercial joint ventures. Mansi Singh  is the key name for regulatory and taxation issues relating to the registration and deregistration of aircraft and airline operations.

Acting for airports, cargo service providers, and international airlines, the aviation practice at DSK Legal handles financing, disputes, and regulatory matters across the aviation sector. The team has significant experience acting for the Indian government, regulatory authorities, and governmental entities, advising on policy, projects, and regulatory matters in the aviation sector. Anjan Dasgupta, Ajay Shaw, and Avinash Kumar Khard oversee the team from Mumbai, while Dinesh Pardasani and Harvinder Singh co-head from New Delhi.

The dedicated aviation team at Lumiere Law Partners assists its clients on the full spectrum of aviation-related matters, including financing, technical agreements, crew and labour issues, and dispute resolution. Vihang Virkar and Ayesha Rai left the firm in December 2023.

The robust aviation practice at Wadia Ghandy & Co focuses on aircraft management finance and asset management, as well as the purchase, sale, and leasing of aircraft. The department is headed by Mumbai’s Marylou Bilawala, a seasoned aviation leasing expert who regularly advises lessors, financiers, and aircraft owners on regulatory, transactional, and litigation matters. The group also regularly represents aviation sector clients on regulatory issues, licensing matters, and compliance.