Aviation asset investment manager Waypoint Operating Lease Finance (WOLF) is seeking to raise $500m (€577.1m) for a new fund dedicated to commercial aviation asset acquisition.
WOLF said it expects to deploy the capital raised over an 18-month period to acquire “high utility commercial aviation assets with lease and trade applications”.
The Dublin-based aviation asset investment manager backed by Avia Solutions Group (ASG) said it will focus primarily on acquiring mid-life narrowbody aircraft assets, including Boeing 737s and Airbus A320s. The firm will also consider, on a selective basis, investments in widebody aircraft and engines.
The investment manager will primarily seek third-party lessees for its assets but retains the option to utilise ASG’s own ACMI airlines whenever necessary.
Emzon Shung, CEO of WOLF, said: “WOLF is a natural fit for Avia Solutions Group. The group’s airlines, MRO [maintenance and repair organisations] and corporate infrastructure set up WOLF for success from day one.
“We also fully expect supporting WOLF to enhance the value of our group companies as they more fully realise their potential by increasing their service offered to the asset management space. We look forward to realizing the value we create together with investors.”
Vahan Callan, head of capital markets of WOLF, said: “WOLF redefines best in class among aviation asset managers. We have all the characteristics the market expects of a leasing and trading platform, with our team of industry veterans providing the intellectual value-add, along with our ability to leverage the wider group’s resources to compose and manage a robust portfolio of aircraft assets.
“This includes priority access to MRO support, and the unprecedented downside protection WOLF offers in the form of contingent leases with the Group’s carriers. WOLF’s projected growth trajectory tracks that of the group’s airlines.”
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