Nicholas Harding

Full Profile

Nick joined Clyde & Co's aviation finance team in 2015, having previously worked for several years in
the asset finance team at another firm in London.

Nick has experience in the financing and leasing of commercial and business aircraft and helicopters.  His experience includes export credit supported financings, finance and operating lease transactions, pre-delivery payment financings, tax-based leases and financings, manufacturer supported financings and warranty arrangements, asset value guarantees and sale and purchase transactions.

He also acts for financiers, owners and operators in the business jet market, advising on the purchase, financing, operating and tax arrangements for such aircraft.

Nick also advises banks and lessors on issues relating to the repossession of aircraft in various jurisdictions.

Experience

Finance and Leasing

• Turkish Airlines: Acting on the Balthazar-supported French tax lease financing of five Airbus A321 NEO aircraft with financing provided by BNP Paribas.  This was the first transaction in the market to benefit from support under the Balthazar programme.  This transaction won the following award: Airline Economics Aviation 100 European Supported Finance Deal of the Year 2020.
• Turkish Airlines: Acting on the French tax financing of two Boeing 787-9 aircraft.  This transaction benefitted from a guarantee provided by US EXIM Bank and was the first EXIM financing of a large aircraft since their re-authorisation.
• airBaltic: Advising airBaltic on the financing and leasing arrangements for airBaltic's fleet of Airbus A220-300 aircraft.  This included the first export credit-supported financing for the aircraft type with Export Development Canada.
• airBaltic: Acting for airBaltic on the sale and leaseback of two Airbus A220-300 aircraft with Avation.  This transaction won AirFinance Journal's Operating Lease Deal of the Year in 2018 due to its innovative Euro rent structure.
• Royal Air Maroc: Acting on the AFIC-supported French tax lease financing of one Boeing 737-8 aircraft and one Boeing 787-9 aircraft with BNP Paribas.  This transaction won the following awards: Global Transport Finance 2018 Aircraft Tax Lease of the Year and Airline Economics Aviation 100 Middle East & Africa Editor’s Deal of the Year 2018.
• Wizz Air: Negotiating sale and leaseback arrangements for ten A321 aircraft, with several leading lessors.  This includes negotiation of sub-leasing arrangements to the UK and UAE subsidiaries of Wizz.
• Turkish Airlines: Acting on numerous financing transactions for Boeing aircraft with the benefit of insurance support from AFIC.  These transactions include French and Italian tax-optimised leasing structures with all of the leading French and Italian aircraft financing banks.
• Turkish Airlines: Acting on numerous financing transactions, including: the French tax-optimised leasing and financing of countless Airbus and Boeing aircraft; the finance leasing of several Boeing aircraft with a leading Chinese bank and the sale and leaseback of numerous Airbus and Boeing aircraft, in each case with market leading banks and lessors.
• Turkish Airlines: Acting on the CACIB-arranged French tax lease financing of one Boeing 777 freighter aircraft with ICBC put option.  This transaction won the following award: Airline Economics Lease Deal of the Year 2018.
• Turkish Airlines: Acting on the on the JOLCO financing of three Airbus A321 NEO aircraft arranged by SMBC.
• Wizz Air: Acting for Wizz with respect to the implementation of subleasing arrangements relating to seven aircraft in connection with the establishment of Wizz’s new UK airline (Wizz UK).
• Wizz Air: Acting for Wizz on the JOLCO financing of two Airbus A321 NEO aircraft arranged by SMBC.
• Wizz Air: Assisting Wizz Air in establishing Wizz UK and leasing the first A320 aircraft into the new UK airline.
• airBaltic: Acting for airBaltic on the sale and leaseback of several Airbus A220-300 (formerly the Bombardier CS300) aircraft with lessors including Avation, CMB Leasing, FPG Amentum and Chorus.
• Aeroflot: Advising Aeroflot on the sale and leaseback of 2 Boeing B777 aircraft, and the sale and leaseback of 7 Airbus A320 aircraft.
• Royal Air Maroc: Acting on the AFIC-supported French tax lease financing of two Boeing 787-9 aircraft with BNP Paribas
• Royal Jordanian: Acting on the financing and delivery of 2 Boeing B787-8 aircraft with DVB Bank.
• Major international bank: Acting on the loan and lease financing of countless business jets and helicopters in various transactions and jurisdictions.
• COVID-19 restructuring of finance/lease arrangements: Advising a number of airlines on restructuring of their finance/lease arrangements in the light of the Covid-19 crisis, including negotiations with Airbus and with lessors/financiers in respect of delayed deliveries/payment deferrals, and reimbursement of deposits paid under letters of intent.

Re-fleeting

• airBaltic: Acting for airBaltic on its purchase of up to 50 A220-300 (formerly CS300) aircraft including negotiating Pratt & Whitney PW1000G engine warranty support arrangements.
• Aegean Airlines:  Advising Aegean Airlines on its purchase order for 20 A320neo and 10 A321neo aircraft, as well as related aircraft and engine options.
• European airline: advising on and negotiating complex engine maintenance cost guarantee and warranty documentation relating to the introduction of a new engine type into the airline's fleet.
• 737 MAX: Advising various airlines on issues relating to the grounding of 737 Max aircraft.
• Aeroflot: advising on the terms of purchase arrangements relating to a number of Airbus aircraft and on the financing and the sale and leaseback of aircraft with several different financiers and lessors.