Questions about leased airplanes

[hamil]

Hi folks, I’d like to know:
When a leased airplane needs to execute a service bulletin or a mandatory AD who pays the bill – the lease company or the airline has leased the airplane? (For example: That new reinforced cockpit door.)
And if a lessee wants to replace radios, to install a GPS or to tear the fuselage to open a cargo door does it need an approval from the lessor?
Thanks …

[Sheep Guts]

Depends really on the lease agreemant. Make sure you get it sorted before you sign. You dont want to be paying for the airplane when its down for Manadatory maintenance. That could break you financially.

[Boss Raptor]

In usual terms all AD's/ASB's etc. are the responsibility of the Lessee. In some cases where the aircraft is new(ish) the lease agreement will contain a clause whereby all AD's over say $100K are apportioned between the Lessee and Lessor the share depending on length of lease to run, i.e. longer time to run on the lease Lessee pays more.

All the time the aircraft is down due to scheduled and non-scheduled maintenance you will be continuing to pay the normal lease rate.

If you want to make a minor mod. from the original delivery spec. you must notify the Lessor of all changes. For changes to your maintenance schedule and certainly major mods you must get permission from your Lessor.

As Lessee if any of the mods. have to be undone or redone at time of re-delivery to satisfy the re-registration and/or re-delivery requirements to the Lessor you are going to be paying.

The Lessor will not allow you to make a cargo door freighter modification to their aircraft unless this is mutually agreed in advance and the lease contract modified or re-made to represent this major modification, change of certification and change of use (and as operator if you are placing a long term investment of this nature into the aircraft then you certainly want this represented in the future lease terms)