What We Do
Advisory
Using our expertise in business advisory, capital structuring and investment services, we help our partners and clients – private companies, government entities, institutional investors and high net worth individuals – to identify, develop and release the real value in their business assets.
Our unique operational and strategic insights and expertise come from years working with and for public and private sector stakeholders and business partners in the aviation, travel and tourism industries. This is further enhanced by the knowledge and hands-on competency gained over decades of managing airlines.
Today we continue to work collaboratively with governments, airlines, airports, MROs, and travel companies seeking out synergies and economies of scale to create strategies that deliver real value to corporations and countries.
Mubadala has worked with the principals of Knighthood for many years, exclusively in the aviation sector, in pursuing the overall economic diversification goals of Abu Dhabi. The Emirate has made great strides in taking its aviation sector global, working with key partners around the world with deep aviation expertise. That foundation was built with the help and support of Knighthood’s executives, as evident in their support for the aviation, aircraft services, OEM and MRO sectors.
Knighthood Global also enjoys the support and expertise of a strong group of advisors all of whom participate in our projects where their experience strengthens our offering and extends our capability.
Total Airline Solutions
Aviation is a complex, highly regulated industry and requires experienced operators to help navigate. With over 150 years of superior operator knowledge and multi-cycle industry experience, Knighthood Global offers a differentiated and unique perspective when compared to traditional consultancies.
We use a long-term partnership approach and a success-driven model to design, implement and deliver bankable strategies for the future. Our mission is to support and complement the work of capable teams to achieve effective, measurable results in line with their shareholder mandate.
Together with our partners, we have created a turn-key restructuring solution for airlines or new airline start-ups. Our Total Airline Solutions platform is focused on giving airlines and aviation groups the scale and capabilities required to effectively compete and be self-sustainable.
We have access to highly qualified and experienced senior airline executives who are available to occupy key leadership positions where their role in knowledge transfer and mentoring is vital for the development of existing teams.
We also have the capacity to provide and install experienced interim management executives to support and guide start-up and existing airlines in the first critical months.
Aircraft Services
Knighthood Global offers a wide range of services including aircraft trading, leasing, and sale-and-lease-back transactions. With decades of experience and a wide international network of contacts including aircraft lessors, owners and manufacturers, we can offer innovative fleet planning and acquisition solutions to meet your needs. Coupled with the right know how and expertise, we also have excellent and reliable connections with international banking and financial institutions to help you secure the capital required to finance your fleet.
Aircraft
Network planning is vital to the creation of a demand-driven airline. The selection, sourcing and financing of aircraft, leveraging an optimised approach, is equally important to an airline's commercial sustainability and success.
Knighthood Global executives have built and run airlines and aviation groups at the highest level on six continents, consistently delivering results in line with their shareholder mandates. We bring an extensive understanding of historic trends and different markets and regions in aviation. Having placed two of the largest aircraft orders in commercial aviation history, we offer in-depth knowledge of asset capabilities, values and associated maintenance programmes.
We have successfully financed over 1,000 aircraft, engines, maintenance and training assets. Our prime contacts with Original Equipment Manufacturers across the aviation supply chain, major aircraft leasing companies, global ratings agencies, and international financing institutions, enables us to design, implement and deliver tailored, innovative and turn-key aircraft financing and services solutions to airlines of all sizes.
Our dedicated aircraft trading team is focused on selling new aircraft at delivery, trading aircraft with leases attached, or phasing-out aircraft at the end of their useful life. We have broad expertise across aircraft entry-into or exit-from service. We source new and used aircraft on operating lease and through sale-and-lease-back transactions. We also facilitate sale and-lease-backs to provide more flexible fleet planning options, as well as the release of liquidity and equity.
Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs)
Aircraft are complex engineering structures comprising many systems and sub-systems manufactured by various Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). While there is limited Operator choice in respect of some items of equipment is usually limited to two or three potential suppliers.
Modern aircraft have a life expectancy of 25 plus years. It is therefore of paramount importance that operators select OEMs with whom they can maintain a dependable relationship from the initial purchase, to after-market support, and finally to the end-of-lease events.
Selecting an OEM supplier is more than a numerical calculation. The total cost of ownership is the more important measure.
Collectively the Knighthood Global team has worked with, audited, and inspected all the major OEMs of airframes, engines, supplier selected equipment, buyer-furnished equipment, in-flight entertainment (IFE) and connectivity. In every instance we used the total cost of ownership to evaluate OEM selections for hundreds of aircraft based on the criteria including competitive pricing, quality, transactions and relationship.
Knighthood Global’s team has unrivalled expertise and experience in negotiating with and codifying agreements with OEMs which, when benchmarked, have proved to be competitive and ranked ‘best in class’ on several occasions.
Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO)
Every aircraft, irrespective of type and size, requires the care of an experienced maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) service provider. As with every other type of service provider, it’s best to identify the correct one before the actual work is started.
The ideal MRO is one with an unimpeachable reputation for its skill set, expertise, and knowledge of a particular aircraft type. Finding the right MRO requires a blend of research, referrals and practical industry knowledge. With our in-depth contacts and experience, Knighthood is uniquely able to assist in the selection of the best MRO, which should include an evaluation of airframe capabilities, training, experience, downtime and their OEM relationships, while obtaining the best value for money.
Obtaining comparable quotes from multiple MROs is both challenging and time consuming. Knighthood Global can assist not only in providing an accurate, well planned and highly detailed To-Do list for the maintenance event, but can also collate, evaluate, recommend, and if required, project manage the entire event while respecting and enhancing the OEM relationships.
Early and efficient planning for an MRO event will reduce aircraft downtime, minimise costs, develop and enhance relationships with both OEMs and MROs.
Airports
Knighthood works with governments, airlines, and airport owners/investors to create and implement strategies for airport development and optimisation. We provide independent advisory and strategic support with evaluation of investment opportunities, negotiations, business strategy, commercial planning and revenue optimisation, and privatisation and advisory services.
We help airport owners and investors to maximise returns while ensuring the highest possible levels of safety and service to their customers.
Tourism & Hospitality
With decades of experience in tourism and hospitality, we understand the enormous value this industry segment holds for economic growth. We collaborate with our partners to provide strategic and operational expertise in destination marketing and country branding and positioning.
We create bespoke holistic strategies and detailed plans, and work with national stakeholders to deliver success that contributes to national economic growth and development.
Real Estate
Knighthood Global operates a global real estate business. We leverage our extensive network to create opportunities that would not otherwise be available on the open market.
We provide a broad range of transaction advisory and investment related services focused on the acquisition, holding or disposal of unique, trophy real estate assets across multiple classes. Working in an extremely private manner, we adopt tailored strategies for each individual transaction.
Our existing portfolio of assets includes a number of attractive investment opportunities across North America, South America, the UK, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, India, Asia and Australia.