Michael Halaby – Chair of Forum Working Group

Michael Halaby has 20+ years of providing strategic funding advice to C-suite executives in the aviation, automotive and financial institution sectors on accessing the US$ and international bond, secured bank debt, and regional financing markets; he has arranged over US$122 billion in debt financing via ~270 transactions for borrowers in the US, Europe and Middle East.

Based in London, Michael Halaby is Managing Director – Head of Aviation Advisory at MUFG Bank, Ltd.  In this capacity, Michael’s role is to build and supervise the Aviation Advisory business for its global aviation partners including lessors, airlines and investors which aims to help its clients raise capital, offer aviation financial consultancy services such as a lease versus buy analysis or fleet financing options and provide advice on ESG strategies.  Previously, Michael Halaby was Principal at Halaby Aero Limited, a consultancy actively involved in advising aviation firms on accessing debt and equity financing as well as ESG aviation finance.  Assignments included advising a debut operating lessor on strategies to access the debt markets, assisting an aviation asset manager on their ESG policy, providing insight on regional aircraft, slots financing and on expansion into aircraft leasing.  Michael has also written recent analyses on ESG in aviation finance, on the regional aircraft sector and on the debt capital markets for aviation.  He writes an ad-hoc market commentary, “Contrails of Consciousness”, which is read by hundreds of senior aviation professionals

Michael was Head of Aviation Debt Origination – EMEA at Deutsche Bank in London for over six years; he was responsible for client coverage of airlines, aircraft operating lessors and aviation-related businesses across the debt product suite (eg secured bank debt, EETC, unsecured bonds, private placements, ABS, Schuldschein, Jolco); he increasingly spent time on equity private placements and M&A

Michael has also worked at Deutsche Bank, Valais Advisory, BNP Paribas in New York and ABN AMRO, for ten years in Amsterdam, London and New York.

Michael received his MBA from Columbia Business School and received his BSBA from the University of Denver; he also attended the Université de la Sorbonne (diplomé in French Civilisation)

Michael often speaks at company presentations and conferences on the state of the debt markets and ESG aviation finance. In addition to the Aviation Club UK, Michael is a member of ISTAT and the Royal Aeronautical Society.  He was a helicopter pilot (R44), designed a line of aviation-themed notebooks: FLIGHTBOOK, and is an avid and award-winning amateur aviation photographer