With over 20 years within the aviation trade, Deepak Sharma has established AFL Plane Finance Lease Ltd. as a trusted associate to airways, lessors, and aerospace leaders across the globe. Since founding the London-based firm in 2019, he has steered AFL via a number of the most difficult and quickly evolving years the sector has ever confronted.
“We keep near our shoppers, not simply via common dialogue, however by genuinely understanding the place they’re heading,” Sharma mentioned. “It’s not about providing a product, however offering readability, flexibility, and long-term worth.”
Sharma, a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, has constructed AFL into greater than a leasing firm. It’s, in his view, a options associate that adapts rapidly to market shifts, regulatory pressures, and fleet technique overhauls. He has confronted sufficient challenges to know that survival in aviation is not only about technical precision, but in addition about constructing belief the place it issues most.
Deepak Sharma: ‘In This Enterprise, Change Is Fixed’
Sharma’s path to the highest was carved via hands-on expertise at each rung of the aviation ladder. He started his profession in engineering roles at British Aerospace and Brymon Airways Engineering, a subsidiary of British Airways. His management trajectory accelerated at UK Worldwide Airways, the place, as Engineering Director, he launched the provider’s operations and earned recognition for his contributions. That technical grounding, he says, gave him a novel means to navigate advanced contractual, operational, and asset administration challenges.
Earlier than founding AFL, Deepak Sharma served as President of Built-in Options at a number one international aviation companies supplier, overseeing an expanded portfolio and new options for shoppers worldwide. As Chief Technical Officer at AJW Group, he spearheaded strategic initiatives that strengthened market place and buyer loyalty. These years, he says, taught him that adaptability is just not non-obligatory.
“On this enterprise, change is fixed,” he mentioned. “What makes us efficient is our means to remain forward.”
Constructing Partnerships That Final
The aviation sector is filled with transactional relationships, however Deepak Sharma believes his firm’s worth lies in forging partnerships that outlast a single deal. One story stands out.
A regional airline, grappling with surprising delays from an plane producer and financing hurdles, turned to AFL for assist. As an alternative of imposing strict contractual penalties, Sharma restructured their lease settlement to present them time to get well.
“That assist led to a long-standing relationship,” he recalled. “At present, we’re their most popular associate throughout a number of plane and development initiatives. Generally, doing the correct factor opens the door to way more than only one deal.”
For Sharma, belief is just not constructed by delivering solely when circumstances are ultimate. It’s earned when a associate stays regular within the turbulence. “Shoppers don’t want a associate who’s solely there when issues are straightforward,” he mentioned. “They want one who stands agency when issues get tough.”
This philosophy has turn into a part of AFL’s inner tradition. From the primary day on the job, workforce members are instructed that the corporate exists to serve shoppers first. “It’s about embedding empathy, not simply course of,” Sharma mentioned. Cross-team workshops, shopper perception classes, and celebrating examples of remarkable service reinforce that mindset throughout the group’s worldwide operations.
Navigating Complexity with Precision
The financing and leasing of plane isn’t simple, particularly when authorities coverage, shifting possession, and international rules intersect.
Sharma remembers one notably advanced case: supporting a nationwide provider via privatisation in the midst of a multi-aircraft lease program. A number of stakeholders have been concerned, from authorities officers to non-public traders and incoming administration.
“We navigated that by introducing safeguards, clear communication channels, and versatile phrases,” he mentioned. “The transaction accomplished easily, and it turned a mannequin we’ve since used to assist different shoppers in transitional phases.”
This type of experience doesn’t occur in a single day. Sharma’s background in engineering and operations, mixed with govt management roles, has given him a holistic view of aviation’s shifting elements. His diploma in Plane Engineering and EASA license in a number of classes are complemented by superior {qualifications} in aviation, contract legislation, and enterprise administration. These credentials give him credibility not simply within the boardroom but in addition within the hangar.
The Shopper Voice as A Compass
At AFL, shopper suggestions is just not an afterthought. Sharma sees it as a strategic asset that shapes the corporate’s course.
“Shopper satisfaction isn’t only a metric, it’s a compass,” he mentioned. “If our shoppers are telling us one thing’s not working, we don’t look forward to the market to determine, we act on it.”
For prime-value or multi-stakeholder transactions, AFL assigns a devoted level of contact whose job contains capturing suggestions in actual time. Structured post-deal critiques comply with, making certain classes are realized and changes are made.
This strategy feeds immediately into AFL’s strategic planning, danger administration, and development initiatives. It additionally influences how the corporate manages operational sustainability whereas sustaining service excellence.
“Operational effectivity, automation, and robust inner controls enable us to stay lean, whereas our client-facing groups deal with delivering high quality, private service,” Sharma mentioned.
A Chief Nonetheless Trying Forward
Regardless of his achievements, Sharma doesn’t see himself as having reached a vacation spot. Aviation, he is aware of, is outlined by its cycles of disruption and alternative. His focus is on making certain AFL stays resilient, agile, and ready for the following shift — whether or not that’s regulatory, financial, or technological.
“We hold a detailed eye on developments like CORSIA or EU taxonomy and keep in common dialogue with shoppers about how their wants are shifting,” he mentioned. “Our job is to take away complexity and provide pathways that make sense, even in unsure instances.”
For Sharma, which means by no means dropping sight of why AFL exists within the first place.
“We’re right here to serve,” he mentioned merely. “Meaning listening, being proactive, and taking possession. If we get that proper, the remaining will comply with.”
From the engineering ground to the manager suite, Deepak Sharma has constructed his profession on the identical ideas that outline AFL’s operations at this time – adaptability, integrity, and an unwavering dedication to the individuals who belief him with their enterprise.
