UK 16:59 Monday, 19 October 2026
Breaking news and expert analysis on fast-moving AIM and LSE listed shares
Hello Share Grafters. The congestion in most of our airports will give you the heads-up that air travel is booming. It will continue to do so, especially as more people from developing countries become middle class. But you may still be wary of big airlines.
As weak fuel prices and low interest rates combine to enhance aviation’s fortunes, ambitious passenger aircraft leasing specialist Avation (AVAP) is on track to lift its fleet from 29 to 41, taking its assets to $950 million (£629 million), with options on more, by the second half of next year, after agreeing to buy its first Boeing 737. With customers already including Virgin Australia, Air France, Fiji Airways and Thomas Cook, the fully-listed company, based in Singapore but with a strong Down Under flavour, is buying a plane operated by and on a 5.5-year lease to an unnamed Chinese carrier, described by finance director Richard Wolanski as ‘a Tier 1 Chinese airline.’
On Friday we ran an article suggesting that aircraft leasing business Avation (AVAP) had lent its chairman Jeff Chatfield $3 million. This was an error. We apologise to Mr Chatfield, to Avation and to our readers for this mistake. I have written personally to Jeff to apologise and I take personal responsibility for the error.
Robert Jeffries Chatfield is not a poor man; far from it in fact. The chairman of Avation PLC (AVAP) scooped a nice little windfall last year, as Virgin Australia Holdings bought out Skywest, in which Mr Chatfield, as executive chairman, held a direct and indirect interest of 36milllion shares. By my rough estimate (figures below) this deal would have netted Mr Chatfield about £4.3million (before tax). With this in mind, I don’t really understand why debt-laden Avation lent $3million to Epsom Assets Limited, in the first half 2013, a company apparently controlled by Mr Chatfield? More to the point has Epsom Assets repaid this money?
