Al Sheaily’s Aviation offering encompasses a detailed knowledge and understanding of the aviation industry derived from its lawyers’ long experience of acting for a myriad of aviation businesses. These include airlines, airports, ground handlers, aircraft and engine manufacturers, leasing companies, banks and financiers, aviation insurers and brokers, tour operators, travel agents and indeed passengers. As a result, the team has an insiders’ understanding of the industry’s challenges, including those arising from how it is regulated domestically and internationally.

Similarly due to our extensive work on the development of Oman’s Port facilities, we have an extensive shipping practice and are able to provide the full range of shipping legal services including ship finance, charterparties, arrest of vessels, demurrage claims, cargo claims, owner’s liability, charter party disputes, marine insurance, and environmental and other issues under international treaties.

Further, and related to the Aviation and Shipping industries, we also frequently advise clients on transportation issues and matters, both domestically and cross-border.

Representative Transactions:

Aviation:

• Advising regional airlines in the purchase and leasing of over 60 aircraft funded by $9 billion asset finance programmes and comprising Islamic and conventional financing structures;
• Advising shareholder on a reorganisation and disposal of its low cost airline operation;
• Acting for major international airline in the drafting and negotiation of full suite of maintenance contracts;
• Drafting and negotiating a wide variety of aviation support, franchise and development agreements, retail lease and licence agreements, and procurement contracts in relation to regional airport;
• Advising airline on IATA, regulatory, licencing and commercial rights in relation to certain routes between Gulf and Indian sub-continent;
• Advising air and sea rescue company on regulatory, finance and operation matters;

Shipping:

• Drafting and negotiating tender documents for consultancy services involving three Omani ports covering techno-economic feasibility studies, designs, operation and management studies and construction supervision for development of port, ferry terminal and marinas;
• Drafting and negotiation of ferry services operations agreement and maintenance agreement for Omani ferry company with European counterparty for five high speed ferries;
• Drafting and negotiating agreement for Oman with a European Port Authority for the operation of an Omani port which includes facilities for general cargo and container usage, liquid exports and bulk imports;
• Providing advice to Port Company in regard to all aspects of the operation of major Omani Port including but not limited to tenant sub usufruct issues, marine services and damages issues and the project finance for the special marine infrastructure including a jetty, dredging, approach trestle, access road and corridor and exclusivity issues under the master stevedoring agreement;

Transportation:

• Advising Owner on $38b regional Rail project;
• Secondee at specialist client rail team to assist in the preparation of their bid as part of a consortium for extensive regional Metro Study;
• Advising regional freight company on multijurisdictional transportation, customs clearance and insurance issues.