Ben Bschor

In the most recent iteration of our digital currencies series with Baker McKenzie we looked into the rising popularity of Initial Coin Offerings - a means for blockchain start-ups to raise capital. For those interested in cryptocurrencies and distributed ledger technology ICOs are one of the hottest trends of 2017. According to the latest estimates around US$1.3bn have been raised in ICOs since the beginning of 2017.

Tony Ryan, the Irish businessman, is best remembered as the co-founder of the low cost airline that carries his name. Ryanair launched in 1985 with a single 15-seat turboprop connecting Waterford with London Gatwick. Today, it is Europe’s largest airline. More than 106 million customers boarded Ryanair planes last year.

Aviation finance is not an industry on everyone’s radar even though it’s huge. The term refers to the business of aircraft leasing: up to 50% of planes globally are no longer owned by airlines directly. Instead, those planes are on lease from specialist companies. International tax reform might change the way competition among global aviation finance centres from Ireland to Singapore plays out in the future. Leasing is an attractive way for airlines to manage their aircraft fleets.