John E. Luth
Chairman, President and CEO
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1350 Avenue of the Americas
25th Floor
New York, NY 10019
Tel: +1 212 284 1133
Fax: +1 212 284 1144
John Luth is the founding partner and chief executive of the Seabury Group. Mr. Luth leads major aviation and aerospace advisory assignments, and has advised on over $50 billion of new aircraft orders, over $30 billion of debt and equity capital transactions, and led airline restructurings involving over $50 billion of obligations.
Most recently, Mr. Luth led an out-of-court restructuring for Republic Airways’ regional jet subsidiary, Chautauqua Airlines (2012), and Frontier Airlines (2011), assisted a major Middle East carrier with respect to NewGen widebody orders (2011), and completed a highly successful NewGen widebody aircraft campaign for Cathay Pacific Airways (in 2010), the later resulting in Cathay ordering 30 firm A350s and six firm 777s. Mr. Luth led similar efforts for Air Canada leading to an order of 60 firm and option 787s and 18/18 firm/option 777s and assisted US Airways on renegotiating billions of new aircraft orders (2010). In 2009, Mr. Luth led capital raises for Air Canada ($1.0 billion) that was coupled with a $500 million annual cost reduction program organized and directed by Seabury, and raised $1.1 billion that year for US Airways Group Inc. in the midst of a global credit crisis. Mr. Luth also completed in 2009 successful M&A assignments for two smaller US carriers. He led the Northwest Airlines’ financial restructuring (2005-2007), including securing $750 million of new equity, $1.2 billion of exit debt financing and restructuring of over $10 billion of debt and lease obligations.
Mr. Luth also advised US Airways Group in its reorganization and merger with America West Holdings Corporation (2004-2005), a transaction led by Seabury that included raising $866 million of equity and $705 million of other forms of debt and supplier liquidity facilities as well as effectuating over $2 billion in aircraft sales. In 2003-2004, Mr. Luth headed Seabury's team for Air Canada’s restructuring and recapitalization. Seabury raised approximately $1 billion of new equity capital and arranged $450 million of exit debt financing for ACE Holdings (Air Canada’s parent company). Over the years, Mr. Luth led many highly successful restructurings including the "out-of-court" $1.2 billion debt/lease restructuring for Continental Airlines, Inc. (1995) and a $710 million debt/lease restructuring for America West Airlines, Inc. (2002).
Mr. Luth was previously SVP-Finance & CFO of Continental Airlines. At Continental, Mr. Luth managed the restructuring of $9 billion of liabilities, negotiated over $8 billion of new firm and optioned aircraft orders, and raised $450 million of equity and long-term debt capital (1993). Mr. Luth also launched and managed a highly successful corporate-wide reengineering effort for Continental that substantially improved the quality of the carrier's services while improving operational costs by over $500 million annually, and headed the deal team for Continental's investment in America West Airlines, Inc. with TPG Capital. Mr. Luth also served as Continental's Chief Information Officer and headed its Technology Division from 1993 to 1995. Prior to joining Continental in 1989, Mr. Luth served as Vice President, Syndications with the investment banking division of Manufacturers Hanover Trust Company. Prior to joining MHT, Mr. Luth was employed in the corporate finance division of the Treasurer's Department of Exxon Corporation in New York.
Mr. Luth graduated magna cum laude with an A.B. in Economics from the College of the Holy Cross (1974) and received an M.B.A. from the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania (1976). Mr. Luth is a NASD Registered Principal, and is Series 7, 63, 79 and 24 qualified. He serves on several boards of companies in which Seabury Capital LLC, an investment company of Mr. Luth, holds an equity interest.
Founded in 1995 by Mr. Luth, Seabury Group provides investment banking, financial advisory, restructuring and consulting services primarily for transportation and financial service companies. With approximately 200 professionals in the United States, Europe and Australasia, Seabury is the largest investment banking, restructuring, and management consulting practice in the world principally dedicated to the aviation, aerospace, cargo and maritime industries.
