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FTAI Aviation Ltd.
PO Box 309, Ugland House
Grand Cayman KY1-1104
Cayman Islands
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| 1 |
Documents Reviewed
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| 1.1 |
The certificate of incorporation with respect to the Company dated 8 December 2017, the certificate of incorporation on change of name with respect to the Company dated 10 November 2022 and the amended and restated memorandum and articles
of association of the Company adopted by special resolution passed on 9 November 2022 (the "Memorandum and Articles").
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| 1.1 |
The written resolutions of the board of directors of the Company dated 15 April 2025 (the "Resolutions").
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| 1.2 |
The minutes (the "Minutes") of the meeting of the shareholders of the Company held on 29 May 2025 (the "Meeting").
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| 1.2 |
A certificate of good standing with respect to the Company issued by the Registrar of Companies dated 28 May 2025 (the "Certificate of Good Standing").
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| 1.3 |
A certificate from a director of the Company a copy of which is attached to this opinion letter (the "Director's Certificate").
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| 1.4 |
The Registration Statement.
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| 1.5 |
The FTAI Aviation Ltd. 2025 Omnibus Incentive Award Plan (the "Plan").
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| 2 |
Assumptions
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| 2.1 |
Copies of documents, conformed copies or drafts of documents provided to us are true and complete copies of, or in the final forms of, the originals, and translations of documents provided to us are complete and accurate.
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| 2.2 |
All signatures, initials and seals are genuine.
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| 2.3 |
There is no contractual or other prohibition or restriction (other than as arising under Cayman Islands law) binding on the Company prohibiting or restricting it from entering into and performing its obligations under the Registration
Statement.
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| 2.4 |
There is nothing under any law (other than the laws of the Cayman Islands) which would or might affect the opinions set out below. Specifically, we have made no independent investigation of the laws of the State of New York or Delaware.
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| 2.5 |
The Company has received or will receive money or money's worth in consideration for the issue of the Shares, and none of the Shares have been or will be issued for less than par value. At the time of issue of the Shares, the Company will
have sufficient authorised share capital to accommodate the issue of the Shares.
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| 2.6 |
No monies paid to or for the account of any party under the Registration Statement or the Plan or any property received or disposed of by any party to the Registration Statement or the Plan in connection with the Registration Statement or
the Plan or the consummation of the transactions contemplated thereby represent or will represent proceeds of criminal conduct or criminal property or terrorist property (as defined in the Proceeds of Crime Act (As Revised) and the Terrorism
Act (As Revised), respectively).
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| 2.7 |
No invitation has been or will be made by or on behalf of the Company to the public in the Cayman Islands to subscribe for any of the Shares.
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| 3 |
Opinions
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| 3.1 |
The Company has been duly incorporated as an exempted company with limited liability and is validly existing and in good standing with the Registrar of Companies under the laws of the Cayman Islands.
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| 3.2 |
The Shares to be issued by the Company as contemplated by the Registration Statement have been duly authorised for issue and when such Shares are issued by the Company in accordance with the Memorandum and Articles,
the Registration Statement and the Plan and upon payment in full being made therefor as contemplated in the Registration Statement and the Plan and such Shares being entered as fully-paid on the register of members of the Company, such Shares
will be validly issued, fully-paid and non-assessable. As a matter of Cayman Islands law, a share is only issued when it has been entered in the register of members (shareholders).
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| 4 |
Qualifications
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| 4.1 |
To maintain the Company in good standing with the Registrar of Companies under the laws of the Cayman Islands, annual filing fees must be paid and returns made to the Registrar of Companies within the time frame
prescribed by law.
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| 4.2 |
Under Cayman Islands law, the register of members (shareholders) is prima facie evidence of title to shares and this register would not record a third party interest in such
shares. However, there are certain limited circumstances where an application may be made to a Cayman Islands court for a determination on whether the register of members reflects the correct legal position. Further, the Cayman Islands court
has the power to order that the register of members maintained by a company should be rectified where it considers that the register of members does not reflect the correct legal position. As far as we are aware, such applications are rarely
made in the Cayman Islands and there are no circumstances or matters of fact known to us on the date of this opinion letter which would properly form the basis for an application for an order for rectification of the register of members of
the Company, but if such an application were made in respect of the Shares, then the validity of such shares may be subject to re-examination by a Cayman Islands court.
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| 4.3 |
In this opinion letter, the phrase "non-assessable" means, with respect to shares in the Company, that a shareholder shall not, solely by virtue of its status as a shareholder, be liable for additional assessments
or calls on the shares by the Company or its creditors (except in exceptional circumstances, such as involving fraud, the establishment of an agency relationship or an illegal or improper purpose or other circumstances in which a court may be
prepared to pierce or lift the corporate veil).
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| 4.4 |
We express no opinion as to the meaning, validity or effect of any references to foreign (i.e. non-Cayman Islands) statutes, rules, regulations, codes, judicial authority or any other promulgations and any
references to them in the Registration Statement.
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| To: |
Maples and Calder (Cayman) LLP
PO Box 309, Ugland House
Grand Cayman
KY1-1104
Cayman Islands
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| 1 |
The Memorandum and Articles remain in full force and effect and are unamended.
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| 2 |
The Company has not entered into any mortgages or charges over its property or assets other than those entered in the register of mortgages and charges of the Company.
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| 3 |
The Minutes are a true and correct record of the proceedings of the Meeting, which was duly convened and held, and at which a quorum was present throughout, in each case, in the manner prescribed in the Memorandum
and Articles. The Resolutions and the resolutions set out in the Minutes were duly passed in the manner prescribed in the Memorandum and Articles (including, without limitation, with respect to the disclosure of interests (if any) by
directors of the Company) and have not been amended, varied or revoked in any respect.
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| 4 |
The shareholders of the Company (the "Shareholders") have not restricted the powers of the directors of the Company in any way.
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| 5 |
There is no contractual or other prohibition or restriction (other than as arising under Cayman Islands law) binding on the Company prohibiting or restricting it from entering into and performing its obligations
under the Registration Statement or the Plan.
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| 6 |
The directors of the Company at the date of the Resolutions and at the date of this certificate were and are as follows: Joseph P. Adams, Jr, Paul R. Goodwin, Judith A. Hannaway, A. Andrew Levison Ray
M. Robinson and Martin Tuchman.
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| 7 |
The Company has received or will receive money or money's worth in consideration for the issue of the Shares, and none of the Shares have been or will be issued for less than par value. At the time of issue of the Shares, the Company will
have sufficient authorised share capital to accommodate the issue of the Shares.
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| 8 |
The minute book and corporate records of the Company as maintained at its registered office in the Cayman Islands and made available to you are complete and accurate in all material respects, and all minutes and
resolutions filed therein represent a complete and accurate record of all meetings of the Shareholders and directors (or any committee thereof) of the Company (duly convened in accordance with the Memorandum and Articles) and all resolutions
passed at the meetings or passed by written resolution or consent, as the case may be.
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| 9 |
Prior to, at the time of, and immediately following the approval of the transactions the subject of the Registration Statement the Company was, or will be, able to pay its debts as they fell, or fall, due and has
entered, or will enter, into the transactions the subject of the Registration Statement for proper value and not with an intention to defraud or wilfully defeat an obligation owed to any creditor or with a view to giving a creditor a
preference.
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| 10 |
Prior to, at the time of, and immediately following the approval of the transactions that are the subject of the Registration Statement and the Plan, the Company was, or will be, able to pay its debts as they fell, or fall, due and has
entered, or will enter, into the transactions that are the subject of the Registration Statement and the Plan for proper value and not with an intention to defraud or wilfully defeat an obligation owed to any creditor or with a view to giving
a creditor a preference.
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| 11 |
Each director of the Company considers the transactions contemplated by the Registration Statement and the Plan to be of commercial benefit to the Company and has acted in good faith in the best interests of the Company, and for a proper
purpose of the Company, in relation to the transactions which are the subject of the Opinion.
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| 12 |
To the best of my knowledge and belief, having made due inquiry, the Company is not subject to material legal, arbitral, administrative or other proceedings in any jurisdiction and no such proceedings have been threatened against the
Company. No steps have been taken to commence the winding up, dissolution or de-registration of the Company nor have the directors or the Shareholders taken any steps to have the Company struck off or placed in liquidation. Further, no steps
have been taken to wind up, dissolve or de-register the Company or to appoint restructuring officers or interim restructuring officers in respect of the Company, and no receiver has been appointed over any of the Company's property or assets.
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| 13 |
To the best of my knowledge and belief, having made due inquiry, there are no circumstances or matters of fact which may properly form the basis for an application for an order for rectification of the Company's register of members
(shareholders).
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Signature:
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/s/ Joseph P. Adams
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Name:
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Joseph P. Adams
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Title:
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Director
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