The transformative potential of smart contracts in airline financing: Aircraft leasing

The airline industry faces financial challenges in the global world due to several factors, such as capital-intensive operations, volatile market conditions, technological changes, and geopolitical and unexpected events, such as the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic. In addition, fluctuations in oil prices directly impact operational costs, including fuel expenses, which are a critical component of lease arrangements in the airline industry. The 21st century has witnessed many technological reforms in various industries, including finance. Specifically, the introduction of blockchain technology allowed the execution of smart contracts that allowed the implementation of new financing methods. Airline financing can also benefit from blockchain technology. This chapter aims to provide an overview of the current research on smart contracts for leasing aircraft and provide insights on this new financing method by evaluating its possible advantages. For this purpose, the existing financing methods for aircraft leasing were first discussed, and then the new financing method was introduced to address the gaps in these conventional methods. The implementation of smart contracts in aircraft leasing will create efficiency gains and enhanced transparency that will have a transformative impact on aircraft financing. © 2025 Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.