Aquila Air Capital (“Aquila”), a leading specialty aviation finance platform, announced today the addition of a new member to its transaction and origination team, Matthew White as Vice President of Originations.
White, who will be based out of the company’s Dublin office, will focus on the origination and execution of leasing, sales and trading opportunities for a wide range of aircraft and engine types in collaboration with clients in the Europe, Middle East, and Africa region.
“We are very pleased to welcome Matthew to our team at an exciting time in our accelerating growth journey,” says Al Wood, Aquila Air Capital’s Chief Executive Officer. “With over a decade of experience, specializing in aircraft and engine leasing across a large and diverse portfolio of aviation assets, Matthew’s background is a perfect fit for our fast-growing platform.”
White joins Aquila from AerSale Aviation Limited, where he spent 11 years, serving most recently as Vice President – Leasing & Trading and previously as Senior Director Engine Trading. Prior to that, he was Sales & Lease Placement Executive at ORIX Corporation. He started his aviation career at Jetbird.
“I am delighted and excited to join Aquila and I am looking forward to working with the wider Aquila team to continue to expand the current leasing and trading platform,” says Matthew White, Aquila Air Capital’s Vice President of Originations.
Founded in 2021, Aquila Air Capital (“Aquila”) is a specialty finance platform focused on providing aviation asset financing, as well as purchasing and leasing aircraft and engines. Led by a management team with decades of experience in the aerospace and aviation industries, Aquila is a trusted partner to all players in the value chain, from buyers and sellers of assets to operators in need of creative and timely solutions for their critical business needs. www.AquilaAirCapital.com
Aquila Air Capital (“Aquila”), a leading specialty aviation finance platform, announced today that the company was the exclusive sponsor of the ISTAT Foundation’s Mentorship Program reception at the International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading (“ISTAT”) Americas 2023 conference in San Diego, California.
During the reception, ISTAT members shared their invaluable experiences and insights with students who desire to enhance their networking skills, learn more about the aviation industry, and receive guidance on their educational and career direction.
“At Aquila, we are big advocates for industry-wide efforts to promote the advancement of and investment in future generations of leaders in our aviation community. We were very pleased to provide financial support for this year’s mentorship program reception and serve as mentors. We congratulate the ISTAT Foundation on their continued success in helping the next generation of aviation finance executives make their dreams a reality,” commented Al Wood, Aquila Air Capital’s Chief Executive Officer.
Wood served as a mentor at this year’s conference, coaching Tyler Warner who is pursuing a Master of Science degree in Business Analytics at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
“I’m so glad to have attended ISTAT Americas 2023. The experience is unparalleled with its unique combination of deal-making, mentorships, and networking opportunities. I want to personally give a shout-out to our ISTAT Foundation sponsor and my personal mentor Al Wood. The mood and intensity that first-time ISTAT attendees felt was incredible,” said Tyler Warner.
Founded in 2021, Aquila Air Capital (“Aquila”) is a specialty finance platform focused on providing aviation asset financing, as well as purchasing and leasing aircraft and engines. Led by a management team with decades of experience in the aerospace and aviation industries, Aquila is a trusted partner to all players in the value chain, from buyers and sellers of assets to operators in need of creative and timely solutions for their critical business needs. www.AquilaAirCapital.com
Aquila Air Capital (“Aquila”), a leading specialty aviation finance platform, announced today the appointment of Chance Fowler as Vice President, Portfolio Management.
In his new role, Fowler oversees optimizing the performance of our growing portfolio of 100+ aircraft and engine assets, serving 20+ customers globally and comprising $300 million in investments. He also will be responsible for originating new investment and leasing opportunities while expanding Aquila’s relationships with current customers and partners.
“Chance is joining our team at a very exciting time as we accelerate efforts to build out our fast-growing platform, which has enjoyed an impressively positive response from industry partners,” emphasized Al Wood, Aquila Air Capital’s Chief Executive Officer. “With his investment background and capital markets experience, Chance will be a great addition to our team, further propelling new investment and leasing opportunities for our platform.”
Previously, Fowler served at Vx Capital Partners, most recently as Vice President of Aircraft Marketing. His first position was an investment analyst. Prior to Vx, he was a financial analyst at Dallas-based Trinity Industries. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Studies from The Johns Hopkins University. He also completed a graduate diploma at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Bologna, Italy. Fowler is an FAA-rated private pilot.
Founded in 2021, Aquila Air Capital (“Aquila”) is a specialty finance platform focused on providing aviation asset financing, as well as purchasing and leasing aircraft and engines. Led by a management team with decades of experience in the aerospace and aviation industries, Aquila is a trusted partner to all players in the value chain, from buyers and sellers of assets to operators in need of creative and timely solutions for their critical business needs. www.AquilaAirCapital.com
Aquila Air Capital (“Aquila”), a leading specialty aviation finance platform, announced today that the company appointed Martin Ryan as Vice President, Financial Planning & Analysis.
“We are thrilled to be welcoming Martin to our growing team and look forward to leveraging his background and experience in the aviation finance industry to conduct financial planning and analysis for our growing specialty finance platform,” commented Al Wood, Aquila Air Capital’s Chief Executive Officer.
Ryan joins Aquila from AMCK Aviation, where over the past five years he served in various risk-related roles, including most recently as Vice President of Risk. Prior to AMCK Aviation, Ryan was a financial accounting for Irish lessor Accipiter Holdings. He started his analytical career in aviation at KPMG Ireland as Senior Associate. He is a CFA certification holder and is registered as a chartered accountant in Ireland. Ryan graduated the University of Limerick with a degree in Business Studies, Accounting & Finance.
Founded in 2021, Aquila Air Capital (“Aquila”) is a specialty finance platform focused on providing aviation asset financing, as well as purchasing and leasing aircraft and engines. Led by a management team with decades of experience in the aerospace and aviation industries, Aquila is a trusted partner to all players in the value chain, from buyers and sellers of assets to operators in need of creative and timely solutions for their critical business needs. www.AquilaAirCapital.com
Aquila Air Capital (“Aquila”), a specialty finance platform focused on commercial aerospace, today announced the appointment of Al Wood as CEO of the company. In addition, Peter Siawjoins Aquila as Head of Originations and Leasing, APAC. Keith Whittaker, Managing Partner of Kepler Hill Capital, will join Aquila’s Board of Directors. The leadership appointments establish an executive team focused on building the Aquila Air Capital portfolio, with deep experience in aviation and a strong network for sourcing strategic opportunities in asset leasing and financing.
Aquila Air Capital is a specialty finance platform focused on providing asset financing in partnership with industry participants as well as purchasing and leasing aircraft, engines and other aviation equipment. Leveraging over 50 years of collective experience in aviation among its leadership team, the company provides comprehensive solutions to asset buyers, sellers and operators in need of creative and timely solutions for their critical business needs.
Al Wood brings over 25 years of experience in the aerospace industry to Aquila Air Capital, most recently serving as CFO of Boeing Commercial Services, a $9 billion business unit where he focused on increasing return on invested capital, streamlining the product and services portfolio, and reducing working capital requirements. He previously served as Head of M&A, Boeing Global Services and was the Chief Commercial Officer at AeroTurbine Inc, a subsidiary of AerCap Inc., the largest commercial aircraft lessor.
“As the aerospace industry navigates a complex and rapidly evolving environment, I believe that Aquila Air Capital can capitalize on significant growth opportunities, while providing world-class customer support and flexible capital solutions to airlines, lessors and OEMs around the world. With the addition of Peter to our team, I believe we will build a strong portfolio of assets and partnerships, particularly in Asia,” said Al Wood, CEO, Aquila Air Capital. “I look forward to leading the Aquila team and building its foundation through exciting lease transactions, partnerships and innovative solutions for our customers.”
Peter Siaw most recently served as a Managing Director and Vice President, Commercial APAC at Aero Capital Solutions. He previously was SVP of International Strategic Development at AeroTurbine and Managing Director of Aercap Singapore Pty Ltd.
“There is a strong opportunity to source through our network and ultimately build a portfolio of desirable assets for our clients. We are excited by the gradual reopening of borders and recovery of international flights in the APAC region. As airlines emerge from lockdown and restart international operations, there will be the need to revisit their fleet development plans and right size their current fleets to be positioned for future growth. We are well-positioned to offer unburdened fleet exit solutions to assist the airline industry with their asset realignment,” said Peter Siaw, Head of Originations and Leasing, APAC. “I am excited to join Al and the Aquila Air Capital team and look forward to scaling the company and building a comprehensive platform of aviation solutions and partnerships.”
Founded in 2021, Aquila Air Capital (“Aquila”) is a specialty finance platform focused on providing aviation asset financing, as well as purchasing and leasing aircraft and engines. Led by a management team with decades of experience in the aerospace and aviation industries, Aquila is a trusted partner to all players in the value chain, from buyers and sellers of assets to operators in need of creative and timely solutions for their critical business needs. www.AquilaAirCapital.com
Aquila Air Capital (“Aquila”), a leading specialty aviation finance platform, announced today that the company signed operating lease agreements for a fleet of three Boeing 757-200PCFs with Kenya-based Astral Airlines (Astral”).
The aircraft are expected to be delivered to Astral starting in November 2021, upon completion of their scheduled maintenance. Astral will become the largest B757F operator in the Middle East & Africa.
“We are delighted to bring on Astral Airlines as a customer. At Aquila, we are uniquely focused on providing cost-effective and flexible solutions for our customers to manage through these unprecedented times. We look forward to this being the beginning to a long-term relationship with Astral to help facilitate their future growth,” said Al Wood, Chief Executive Officer of Aquila Air Capital.
“We are excited to enter into a lease agreement for three B757-200F aircraft from Aquila Air Capital and SkyExec Capital Jets. The aircraft will take over the Nairobi – Johannesburg and Nairobi – Dubai scheduled service with increased frequency for our clients in addition to new scheduled routes to and within Africa and Middle East in 2022. It will also offer point-to-point solutions for COVID-19 vaccines (from India / UAE to Africa) in addition to E-commerce shipments to new markets,” commented Astral’s Chief Executive Officer, Sanjeev Gadhia.
“The B757-200F will complement the Astral fleet with new and efficient options to and within its existing scheduled and charter freighter network, which comprises of over 50 destinations in Africa, Middle East and Southeast Asia,” added Astral’s Commercial Director in UAE, Satvir Kalsi.
Founded in 2021, Aquila Air Capital (“Aquila”) is a specialty finance platform focused on providing aviation asset financing, as well as purchasing and leasing aircraft and engines. Led by a management team with decades of experience in the aerospace and aviation industries, Aquila is a trusted partner to all players in the value chain, from buyers and sellers of assets to operators in need of creative and timely solutions for their critical business needs. www.AquilaAirCapital.com
Platform Targets to Become Trusted Partner for Passenger and Cargo Operators and MRO Community
Aquila Air Capital (“Aquila”), a leading specialty aviation finance platform, announced today its launch following the signing of an agreement between aviation industry executive Al Wood and private equity firms Warburg Pincus and Kepler Hill Capital to establish the company.
The platform will have a broad mandate to purchase, finance, and lease, aircraft, engines, and other aviation equipment, with a vision to serve as a trusted partner to all players in the value chain, from buyers and sellers of assets to operators in need of creative and timely solutions for their critical business needs.
Eric Friedman, Managing Director of Warburg Pincus, stated: “There is a significant market opportunity to build a leading specialty finance franchise in commercial aerospace. By pairing our expertise in special situations and specialty finance with our deep history in aerospace, Aquila Air Capital is well positioned to build a scaled and diversified platform.”
A long-time industry executive, Al Wood, who previously served as Head of Mergers and Acquisitions at Boeing Global Services and as Chief Commercial Officer at AeroTurbine, formerly part of AerCap and International Lease Finance Corporation, will lead the platform as Chief Executive Officer.
Wood joined Warburg Pincus as an executive-in-residence to identify and evaluate investment opportunities related to the broader aerospace and defense industry and to help build the platform.
“The industry is facing an extended recovery outlook and high levels of cash burn, leaving it with liquidity and capital constraints. Our platform has the potential to become an important partner for passenger and cargo operators and the MRO community supporting their aircraft,” concluded Al Wood, Chief Executive Officer of Aquila Air Capital.
Founded in 2021, Aquila Air Capital (“Aquila”) is a specialty finance platform focused on providing aviation asset financing, as well as purchasing and leasing aircraft and engines. Led by a management team with decades of experience in the aerospace and aviation industries, Aquila is a trusted partner to all players in the value chain, from buyers and sellers of assets to operators in need of creative and timely solutions for their critical business needs. www.AquilaAirCapital.com