Kevin Milligan, Chief Executive of Crestone Air Partners in conversation with James Kelly, Head of Aviation Finance at KPMG

In this episode of the Aviation Leaders Series with KPMG and Airline Economics, Joe McConnell, Partner and Deputy Co‑Chief Investment Officer at Castlelake, shares a wide‑ranging, deeply informed perspective on the state of global aviation as we enter 2026 with James Kelly, Head of Aviation Finance at KPMG.

In this episode of Aviation Leaders, in conversation with Joe O’Mara, Head of FS Tax at KPMG, John Evans, Chief Executive Officer of Azorra, discusses the company’s focus on the 100–150 seat aircraft market and its global portfolio of 153 aircraft across 41 countries, serving 35 airline customers.

In this episode of Aviation Leaders, Olivier Trauchessec, Head of Global Aviation at MUFG Bank, shares his perspective on the strong performance of airline and aircraft leasing markets in 2025 and MUFG’s role as one of the world’s leading aviation financiers, serving more than 250 clients globally.

Welcome to the latest episode of the Aviation Leaders podcast from Airline Economics. In this episode, James Kelly, Head of Aviation Finance at KPMG, is joined by Ali Ben Lmadani, Chief Executive Officer of ABL Aviation. Ali shares how ABL has grown into a global aircraft lessor and asset manager with more than seven billion dollars in assets and a fleet of around one hundred aircraft. He explains why delays at Boeing and Airbus are driving strong demand for midlife aircraft, how lease rates are responding, and why ABL is focused on long-term leases supported by in-house technical expertise. Ali also shares his views on the company’s independent ownership model, the opportunities emerging in the Middle East, and why end-of-life aircraft management could become a defining theme for the industry after 2030. This is a wide-ranging discussion on supply constraints, asset strategy and how the midlife market is shaping the next phase of aviation finance.

Welcome to the latest episode of the Aviation Leaders Report. In this edition, host James Kelly sits down with Helane Becker, founder of HRB Aviation Consultants, to unpack the state of the industry at the close of 2025 and what lies ahead for 2026. Helane examines strong international demand—particularly in Europe and Asia‑Pacific—while offering a more cautious view on US domestic growth. She discusses the effects of tariffs and geopolitical tensions, ongoing OEM challenges, leasing‑sector consolidation, and the rising need for larger aircraft.