Our Munich Aviation Summit took place on 18 September 2026, bringing together a range of representatives from across aviation including lessors, financiers, airlines and MROs. We heard from a series of speakers and panels on the immediate challenges facing aviation and the opportunities that could impact its future.

The overall message was one of resilience and opportunity creation, despite the challenges. The speakers discussed the impact of geopolitics, fuel costs, supply chain difficulties and aircraft delivery delays as some of the key influencing factors facing the sector.

While manufacturing levels of new aircraft are gradually increasing with the easing of supply chain and technology issues, the speakers observed that airlines are continuing to operate older aircraft. This is however supporting utilisation and lease rates, while also creating opportunities for investing in mid-life aircraft.

The financing panels considered how lenders and lessors are responding to these dynamics. Flexibility was a consistent topic, including managing utilisation and identifying value across aircraft types throughout different stages of their lifecycle. For lessors, certainty of executing deals and building strong long-term relationships with counterparties were emphasised together with competitive pricing. 

We heard how wet leasing continues to give airlines additional flexibility, including when testing new routes or responding to capacity constraints. Speakers also discussed how sustainability and new technology form part of financing decisions and we heard about exciting developments in battery powered aircraft and uncrewed flights. 

Looking ahead

Across the discussions, several themes emerged:

• The aviation market remains resilient despite external pressures.
• Older and mid-life aircraft are likely to remain important as the industry works through the delivery backlog.
• Sustainability and new technology are creating opportunities.
• Flexibility and strong commercial relationships remain particularly important.

The day offered a broad snapshot of an industry managing near-term constraints while continuing to invest in the technologies, financing structures and operating models that will shape its future.