The European and World airline and aviation industries are currently under-going major upheavals, leading to mergers between airlines, and the entry of many new low cost carriers and regional airlines. National flag-carriers or so-called "legacy" airlines are having to face challenges on many fronts and thus, in many cases, need to take drastic action if they are to prosper or even to survive. New low cost and regional carriers are being founded in every country in Europe, although experience shows that there is unfortunately likely to be a high failure rate.

Many of the issues faced by airlines, whether large or small, are of an operational nature. For example, reducing overhead and operating costs (including fleet financing), having the right route structure, optimising the fleet size and type, etc. However, with the explosion in the number of airlines and continuing European integration and deregulation, many airlines face, or will shortly face, fundamental strategic and "corporate finance" decisions. Such decisions include the following:

• How can owners decide what their business is really worth, to them or to third party, now and in the future?
• How can airlines and owners find a suitable strategic partner to help them grow their business more and more profitably?
• How can owners raise sufficient fresh capital to finance their ambitions and expansion plans while still retaining their interest and up-side profit potential?
• How should airlines and owners view and judge the opportunities for mergers or acquisitions, both domestically or cross-border?
• How should airline owners treat opportunities for selling their companies to interested buyers? At what price?
• How can airlines and owners best execute a desired transaction, be it a merger, an acquisition, a disposal or a capital increase, in an efficient, professional and successful way?

AviaCapital’s unique combination of corporate finance and aviation expertise enables us to help with precisely these and similar decisions. And not just advise but also to achieve a desired and profitable result. While owners and managers must certainly keep control of key decisions, you can outsource the following functions to AviaCapital:

• Valuations
• Finding Strategic investors and capital
• Merger, acquisition and disposal analysis
• Merger, acquisition and disposal execution
• Our Central and Eastern European Capabilities