Profile

Dimitri, who heads Kennedys’ Brussels office, was admitted to practice in Belgium in 1995. 

He has extensive experience and knowledge in aircraft purchase, finance and operating leases and commercial transactions in relation to aircraft and aviation activities, cargo and passengers related. He assists airlines and other organisations in the aviation sector with regulatory matters, particularly in relation to matters concerning European Union.

Dimitri also possesses significant expertise in the general transportation, logistics and supply chain sectors and provides legal assistance as to all aspects of his clients' activities in these areas. He also has experience advising on general transportation, logistics and supply chain sector matters.

In addition, Dimitri has extensive experience and knowledge in regulatory (EU and Benelux), contentious (judicial and international arbitration proceedings), commercial and corporate matters, including M&A transactions and the structuring and negotiation of complex internal business transactions.

He is a member of the European Aviation Club and European Air Law Association.

Dimitri also contributed to the fourth edition of Kennedys’ Global Legal Handbook, one of our most popular guides, which outlines the main legal and procedural issues that case handlers may encounter when dealing with claims across 53 jurisdictions globally.

Dimitri de Bournonville acquired experience in-house before opening the practice and understands the needs of airlines.

Qualifications and admissions

  • Became a member of the Brussels Bar in 1995

Market recognition

  • Leading Individual and recommended lawyer for 'Transport (Belgium)'
    "Dimitri de Bournonville heads the team with a no-nonsense approach tailored to clients’ needs always going the extra mile".
    The Legal 500 EMEA 2024
  • Listed in the Hall of Fame and recommended lawyer for 'Aviation (Belgium)'
    "Dimitri de Bournonville acquired experience in-house before opening the practice and understands the needs of airlines".
    The Legal 500 EMEA 2024
  • Leading Individual for 'Transport (Belgium)'
    "Dimitri de Bournonville remains a key figure in the market. He combines strong expertise in litigation, regulatory and commercial matters in the transport sector."
    The Legal 500 EMEA 2023
  • Recommended Lawyer for 'Transport (Belgium)'
    The Legal 500 EMEA 2023
  • Hall of Fame for 'Aviation (Belgium)'
    "Dimitri de Bournonville is to the point, sharp and visionary. Great team."
    The Legal 500 EMEA 2023
  • Recommended lawyer for 'Aviation (Belgium)'
    The Legal 500 EMEA 2023
  • Leading Individual for 'Aviation (Belgium)'
    "The practice is led by ‘uncontested expert‘ Dimitri de Bournonville, a vastly experienced figure within the space with expertise in transactions, leasing, and regulatory issues."
    The Legal 500 EMEA 2022
  • Recommended Lawyer for 'Transport (Belgium)'
    "Dimitri de Bournonville remains the key man behind the success of the office. His experience is a real advantage when it comes to advising and assisting the firm’s clients in the transportation and logistics sector."
    "Dimitri de Bournonville is praised by clients for his wide-ranging transport sector capabilities, including corporate transactions and arbitration proceedings."
    The Legal 500 EMEA 2022
  • Leading Individual for 'Aviation (Belgium)'
    "Dimitri De Bournonville is 'a great practitioner', 'intellectually brilliant' and 'stands out as one of the star practitioners in the aviation market in Belgium and the Benelux region'."
    "Dimitri de Bournonville is a true specialist and leader in his field, with over 25 years of professional experience. He remains very approachable and someone with whom we as clients sincerely enjoy interacting with, to explore ideas out of the box and under all angles, yet in a pragmatic way."
    The Legal 500 EMEA 2021
  • Recommended Lawyer for 'Transport (Belgium)'
    The Legal 500 EMEA 2021
  • Global Leader for ‘Aviation Contentious’ (Belgium)
    Who’s Who Legal Transport 2021
  • Global Leader for ‘Aviation Finance’ (Belgium)
    Who’s Who Legal Transport 2021
  • Global Leader for ‘Aviation Regulatory’ (Belgium)
    Who’s Who Legal Transport 2021
  • Recommended Lawyer for 'Transport (Belgium)'
    "Dimitri de Bournonville [is] knowledgeable, responsive and reliable business partners for transportation matters."
    The Legal 500 EMEA 2020
  • Leading Individual for 'Aviation (Belgium)'
    "Dimitri de Bournonville is a first-class lawyer. He leads a team of very experienced and dynamic lawyers."
    "Head of the practice Dimitri de Bournonville has an excellent and long standing reputation that he lives up to in the matters he deals with."
    "Dimitri de Bournonville is brilliant and remains an uncontested leader in the field of aviation law in the Belgium and Benelux region."
    The Legal 500 EMEA 2020
  • Winner | Client Choice Award for Aviation (Belgium) 2020
  • Recommended Lawyer for 'Transport (Belgium)'
    The Legal 500 EMEA 2019
  • Leading Individual for 'Aviation (Belgium)'
  • "Practice head Dimitri De Bournonville leads the advice to the company on setting up a long-haul airline with a Belgian base."
    The Legal 500 EMEA 2019
  • Leading Individual for 'Aviation (Belgium)'
    "The experienced Dimitri de Bournonville is ‘the strong link of the team’."
    "Led by Dimitri de Bournonville, Kennedys’ team continues to further its first-rate reputation in the transport sector".
    The Legal 500 EMEA 2017 

Work highlights

Advising a major integrator in the transportation sector for the sale of two airlines and the restructuring of its operational and finance aircraft lease contracts portfolio in the context of a public takeover.