Christopher Healy

As a Counsel in our Aviation team based in Hong Kong, I have extensive experience in commercial aircraft finance, leasing and trading matters with a particular focus on the Asia Pacific region.

I joined the banking team in the London office of Bird & Bird in 2007 and soon afterwards found myself working for the co-head of the firm's Aerospace & Defence sector group, Paul Briggs. Since then I have never looked back, and have worked exclusively on aviation-related matters.

I returned to my native Hong Kong in 2011 and rejoined the Bird & Bird aviation team in Hong Kong in 2015. The Asia-Pacific region has been a key driver for growth in the aviation industry, and I have been lucky not just to have been involved with the growth of the region's airlines, but also its aircraft leasing and aviation finance sectors.

My work focuses mainly on aviation transactional matters, acting for airlines, leasing companies and financiers on aircraft leasing, financing and sale and purchase matters. I also have experience in aviation regulatory matters and MRO contracts.

Aviation has been my blood since I was a child, when I used to see 747s flying over my house on approach to Hong Kong's old Kai Tak airport. It's great to be part of a team that really understands the aviation industry and who can apply that knowledge and passion to their day-to-day work.

Perhaps appropriately, this was text was written on a Cathay Dragon A320 whilst flying over the Ryukyu Islands.

• Acting for a PRC Bank on its warehouse financing for a major lessor of one new B787-9 aircraft and one new A350-900 aircraft.
• Acting for Thai AirAsiaX on operating leases with multiple international lessors for A330-300 and A330-900neo aircraft.
• Acting for a HK-based operating lessor on its refinancing with two major Asian banks of two A320-200 aircraft leased to an airline in Saudi Arabia.