ACC Aviation sees consultancy work in Africa increase

Image courtesy ACC Aviation

The business has been active internationally in aircraft sales transactions, business advisory and restructuring programmes, together with consultancy projects, including a number in Africa, which has become a leading emerging market for start-up carriers.

Consulting activities included:

• Retained by a Central African flag carrier to arrange and advise on the financing of its forward (aircraft) orderbook.
• Engaged by a CIS freight forwarder to develop the business case for developing its own dedicated freighter operations, advising on various financing options.
• Retained by a West African financial institution to advise on its aviation portfolio strategy. Work covered several airlines under receivership and the warehousing of secured assets into an aircraft financing vehicle.
• Engaged by a state-backed financier to develop a business plan for a new domestic and regional airline in West Africa.
• Engaged by a helicopter operator for a feasibility assessment on a new Middle East based helicopter touring business.
• Engaged by a group of investors to assess the feasibility of developing an aircraft teardown and dismantling facility in North Africa.
• Concluded engagement by the state shareholder of a flag carrier based in Southern Africa to develop its turnaround and restructuring strategy.

“It has been the most unprecedented of times for commercial aviation and we are not out of the woods yet,” said ACC Aviation CEO Phil Mathews. “Our 54-strong team, working across five continents, stepped up massively to help airlines with all manner of challenges. Calling on our diverse areas of expertise we have been able to broaden the support we offer to airlines and financiers. 

"We are proud to be a partner that airlines turn to for subcontract flying, leasing, as well as aircraft sales transactions and asset appraisals to help them raise capital.

"Our evolving expertise has benefitted our business and we are now looking forward to further expanding our portfolio in the second half of this year.”

ACC Aviation reports a more than 20% year on year growth in the first quarter of 2021, despite the harsh impact on aviation brought about by the global pandemic. This follows a 200% year on year growth in charter sales in 2020.

Eighteen months ago, ACC Aviation global consultancy projects were focused on developing plans for airlines in high growth mode. That unravelled in March 2020, as airlines faced uncertainty brought about by the pandemic. Since the start of Covid-19 ACC Aviation's work has largely been segmented into two areas:

1. Helping existing airlines to restructure their business, raise fresh capital, renegotiate financial obligations and offload excess assets in preparation for the future.
2. Supporting new airlines, or those ‘rebirthing’ – to fill market gaps left by incumbent carriers and to take advantage of lower cost aircraft availability, and a fresh balance sheet.