Our team

Our team consists of highly qualified and motivated professionals, who are all experts in their field. An Exceptional Team with Over
200 years of Combined Aviation Experience, they have the expertise to provide comprehensive, first-rate services to our clients.

Management

Kurosh Tehranchian

Founder/Partner

Kurosh’s strength lies in complex transaction structuring and the rapid growth of companies from their early stage to exit. In 2003, Kurosh co-founded Aircraft Zone to focus on private jet charter. Following a phenomenal first year of operation, the company successfully closed a fundraising round in 2005 which resulted in a company name change to Ocean Sky Aviation. By 2006, as well as being the third largest charter broker in the UK, the company had set up three AOCs, a Bombardier approved maintenance and overhaul center (MRO) and a chain of Fixed Based Operators (FBOs) in the UK.In a May 2007 press release The Boeing Company referred to Ocean Sky as “the fastest growing private jet company in Europe”. By the time Kurosh sold the company in December 2009, Ocean Sky managed and operated 34 heavy jet aircraft, employed 325 people and had become one of the largest private jet maintenance and engineering centers in Europe with nine offices across the continent.

In 2010, Kurosh co-founded AXON Aviation, a commercial aircraft and private jet sale, lease and finance specialist, based in Mayfair.

With his in-depth experience of aircraft
operation, management and maintenance, Kurosh is widely regarded as an expert in this field having structured the sale of numerous aircraft from Bombardier Learjets to Airbus ACJs, for heads of state, private individuals and corporations worldwide.

Kurosh is also the non-executive chairman of a number of IT, Energy and Finance
companies.

Luis Evia

Founder/Partner

Luis has 28 years of experience in aviation involved in business and commercial aircraft sales, charter, leasing, finance, technical support and spares parts supply for airlines and air forces including Comair, Lufthansa Technik and Virgin America.

Luis owned and operated an FBO based in San Diego, CA in his mid-2000’s and gained tremendous aircraft leasing experience while leasing aircraft into Russia and Germany from 2005-2011.

He also setup and ran a wheel and brake program for a division of
Delta Airlines’ Comair from 2004-2008 where all regular and AOG requirements were under his watch. He has been a supplier for the Mexican Air Force since 1997 undertaking responsibilities which have included overseeing all technical aspects of the air surveillance squadron.

Luis was business development manager at AAR Corp, from 2000-2004 and part of the transition team when AAR purchased the United Airlines MRO in Indianapolis, IN. Luis has represented various companies in Mexico including JSSI, and Russian companies Terem, Ural Works, and Inoxis.

Luis is also the founder of Peninsula MRO, a Mexico based MRO in progress and projected to be
Latin America’s largest aircraft maintenance facility. Luis has worked with the Launch Client for over one year.

Niki Rokni

Founder/Partner

Niki has worked in the aviation industry since 1991 with extensive experience in the sales, lease and finance of leading private jets and commercial aircraft with clients such as American Airlines, Lufthansa, DHL, Iberia, Cargosur, VARIG and AZAL for both passenger and cargo operations in addition to very high net worth individuals for private
jets.

In 2004 Niki co-founded Ocean Sky Aviation, a fully integrated private jet company which became a Tier One operator in Europe. With three AOCs, an MRO centre, 7 FBOs and 8 offices across Europe. The company operated over thirty aircraft across nine locations in Europe.

Niki was the head of sales and marketing introducing the
sale of private aircraft in 2008, completing a number of transactions before selling the company in December 2009. In March 2010 Niki co-founded AXON Aviation, where she heads aircraft sales for both commercial and private jets, including finance of aircraft, working on a strictly mandated basis. Niki has successfully secured a large number of Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, Dassault Falcon and Gulfstream aircraft as well as expanded AXON'S client base.

Her commitment, consistency and undivided
attention to clients secure their return every time.

Advisory Team

John McWilliam

Advisor, Finance, Commercial Operations and Maintenance

With 50+ years of experience in aircraft finance, operations and maintenance. John has a long and distinguished career in aviation spanning over fifty years.

Initially trained an aircraft engineer, John has significant experience in structuring asset-based transactions for aircraft across the globe. He spent six years at the UK Civil Aviation Authority before first foraying into aviation finance in 1988 as Vice President (Technical) at Security Pacific National Bank.

John has an unparalleled level of expertise in aircraft finance and lease gained through his past positions at Security Pacific National Bank (now Bank of America), as Associate Director and Vice President at Swiss Bank Corporation (now part of UBS) and from 2001 through 2018 as Senior Director at Royal Bank of Scotland involved in the initial build-up of RBS Aviation Capital (RBSAC). Following the RBSAC business sale in 2012, John held the position of Senior Director, Head of Aviation Portfolio and Planning charged with the management and disposal of financed assets including commercial and corporate aircraft.

Having successfully disposed of several Billion Dollars of assets.

John joined AXON Aviation Group as Head of Commercial Aircraft Finance.

Stephen Forness

External Advisor, FAA Compliance

35 years of experience at Boeing Future Combat Systems, former Chief Engineer F-18, NASA X-37 and 30 years in structural composites. FAA Designated Engineering Representative, Stephen also acts as compliance advisor for AXIS’ operational requirements.

Stephen Lyons

External Advisor, Finance

Stephen Lyons has over 30 years’ of senior management aviation, finance and investment banking experience and has acted as a principal and advisor to a variety of aviation companies and other stakeholders.

Stephen has spent his career working in diverse international markets covering Europe, North America, Asia-Pacific, and Middle East & Africa as well as successfully completing several large and complex financing transactions for renowned companies such as British Airways, applying his strong analytical and financial modelling skills and strategic focus to scrutinise and develop corporate business plans.

Stephen’s transaction management skills are crucial to implementing and completing projects. Stephen holds key relationships with a number of leading leasing companies, aircraft manufacturers and airlines around the world.

Operations Team

Felix Sanchez

General Operations

With 40 years of experience in aviation, former Chief Operations Officer, Mexicana Airlines leading the operations of the airline’s divisions including the Mexicana MRO. Previously, Felix was Director of Mexicana Airlines MRO and prior to that, Captain of A320/B727 aircraft. Felix led the team that obtained the first Airbus Approved Maintenance Certification for Mexicana MRO.

Mr. Felix is currently active in Eviacorp’s contracts and activities related to aircraft operations.

Ray Evans

747 Operations

Ray has 30 years of experience PART121, PART145 and PART91 operations. Ray has operated and managed Boeing 747-400BCF, B727F,B767F, B777F and B757-200 passenger and cargo variants, for large freight and passenger operators including Baltia Airlines, National Airlines, Kalitta Air and Airborne Express where his responsibilities ranged from aircraft operations, client interaction, FAA interface, maintenance planning and
management.

Ray’s experience includes being the National Airlines Dubai Station Manager, where he was in charge of setting up and operating three B747-400BCF aircraft from AOC integration, to full aircraft operations.

Ben Bartel

AOC Operations

30 years of worldwide aircraft operating experience rated and licensed in RVSM and MNPS oceanic and international procedures in North, Central and South America, Atlantic, Pacific, Europe, Middle East, Far East, Africa, Russia, Asia and the Arctic under PART135, PART121 and PART125 aircraft operations.

Ben is multi-engine flight rated on several Boeing and Airbus airframes including and up to the Boeing 777.

Technical Team

Melesio Trejo

Maintenance Director

37 years of experience in Mexicana Airlines / Mexicana MRO, Melesio began his career as an aircraft technician in Mexicana’s in-house MRO and was Director of Third Party Services at Mexicana MRO during his last twelve years at the company.

Melesio is considered an expert in the industry and is currently a technical consultant to LAN (LATAM) accompanying wide body aircraft to maintenance in Dubai and Shanghai because of the lack of maintenance in the region.

Ricardo Cuevas

Technical Director

40 years of experience in aviation, Ricardo has had oversight of all aircraft purchase, delivery and redelivery maintenance requirements for several
of the world’s largest aircraft leasing companies, including GE Capital (GECAS, now AerCap), AWAS, Orix, ILFC and Jetran.

Ricardo remains a consultant to several major leasing companies and is currently managing “redelivery” maintenance as aircraft are being returned to lessors and/or
operators under the COVID pandemic.

Luis Endoqui

Quality Assurance

20 years of experience in aircraft maintenance, Luis has worked in companies such as Mexicana MRO and Aeroman, the Mexican aviation
authority, DGAC Airworthiness Inspector and as Quality Assurance Auditor for Mexicana MRO.

Mr. Endoqui oversees the quality assurance requirements with domestic and foreign authorities from the certification through to and including the operations stage.

Bernard Fourrier

Heavy Maintenance, Commercial Aircraft

44 years of experience in aircraft maintenance, Bernard has a long career in heavy aircraft maintenance, having developed a full scale maintenance
facility based in San Antonio, TX, AeroSky, certified on every Boeing airframe except the 787 and every Airbus airframe except the A220, A350 and
A380 under EASA and FAA compliance, capable of undertaking Boeing 747 light and heavy maintenance tasks.

Bernard sold a 49% share of Aerosky to Mr. Luis Evia in December 2021.

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