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.