Macquarie AirFinance finalises ALAFCO acquisition

Macquarie Asset Management, PGGM Infrastructure Fund and Australian Retirement Trust (ART) are supporting Macquarie AirFinance’s $2.2bn acquisition of an aircraft portfolio from ALAFCO Aviation Lease and Finance Company (ALAFCO). Macquarie AirFinance shareholders will collectively contribute up to $600 million of new equity to the business to facilitate its purchase of 53 current and next-generation commercial passenger aircraft and an order for 20 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft from ALAFCO. The transaction will be supported with a $1.65 billion acquisition facility, underwritten by BNP Paribas, Citibank, MUFG Bank, and Natixis. Jonathan Watkinson-Hall, Head of Asset Finance at Macquarie Asset Management, said: “This