Aviation leasing company LCI has launched an independent division dedicated to high quality advisory, consultancy and research services. LCI Analytics will initially cover mission critical rotorcraft and AAM operations across sectors including energy, emergency medical services and search and rescue. It will publish regular, in-depth research and forecasts, and leverage its in-house knowledge, experience and computing power to deliver actionable, real-time insights from big data.

It will also deliver bespoke advisory, consulting and forecasting services to stakeholders such as governments, developers, manufacturers, operators and investors. These insights will have applications in market research, business planning, fund-raising and M&A.

Steve Robertson, a respected energy sector economist with a background in commercial and strategic market consulting and research, will lead the division as managing director.

CEO Jaspal Jandu says: "The aviation and energy markets are increasingly being driven by the forces of efficiency, sustainability and scalability. Advances in STEM disciplines, computing power and analytics will play a key role in the transportation and logistics networks of the future. The creation of LCI Analytics supports our core belief in sustainable innovation and growth. With his proven track record in this field, I am confident that Steve Robertson will quickly establish LCI Analytics as a reputable and trusted source of insight."

The division will combine millions of flight data points from proprietary and third party sources, and will operate one of the largest private networks of ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast) flight tracking receivers worldwide.

It will use this data to track and benchmark key metrics such as supply, demand, costs and emissions, and will identify future hotspots. Applications include new AAM networks and also the growing logistical operations around offshore wind farms.

Robertson says: "LCI is a proven and reputable aviation business, and the opportunity to work with it to establish a new research and advisory consultancy is an exciting one.

"LCI Analytics' deep understanding and detailed coverage of traditional and new energy markets, such as offshore wind, will enable us to deliver unique insights to help our clients make informed and data-driven decisions. We start this new journey with the added experience of hundreds of successful consulting projects, industry-leading published reports and support work on public and private transactions totalling tens of billions of dollars."

Prior to joining LCI, Robertson was the founder and principal of research and consulting firm Air & Sea Analytics. Before that, he spent 17 years at energy-sector research and consulting business Westwood Global Energy in a number of roles including director and board member.

The launch of LCI Analytics follows the acquisition of a 35 per cent stake in LCI by Sumitomo Mitsui Finance and Leasing Co last year.