Aircraft Engine Lease Finance Inc. (AELF) has closed a new warehouse credit facility with Natixis Corporate and Investment Bank (Natixis CIB), providing up to $100 million in committed capital.
This marks the US lessor’s first financing with the French bank, and will support the expansion of its mid-life aircraft leasing strategy.
The warehouse facility provides AELF with enhanced financial flexibility and acquisition capacity to capitalise on opportunities in the mid-life aircraft segment.
According to AELF, the facility will support the strategic acquisition of highly liquid aircraft, primarily the Boeing 737-800 and Airbus A330 families.
“These aircraft offer operators a combination of proven reliability, attractive operating economics, immediate deployment capability, and significant value relative to new aircraft alternatives in today’s constrained supply environment,” said AELF.
AJ Issenman, director of capital markets at AELF, said Natixis CIB understands the lessor’s business model and shares its vision for the company’s long-term development.
“AELF’s focused approach to the mid-life aircraft segment demonstrates their deep market understanding and ability to identify attractive risk-adjusted returns in a dynamic leasing environment,” said Yevgeniya Levitin, managing director and head of aviation for the Americas at Natixis CIB.
“We are excited to support their expansion in this high-demand area of the aviation market and believe their disciplined investment approach will create value for all stakeholders.”
AELF’s technical and remarketing teams will identify assets with “strong value-creation potential”. They will manage these assets through periods of transition, optimising maintenance planning and maximising residual values throughout the aircraft lifecycle.
“The Natixis CIB facility provides AELF with competitive terms and offers operational efficiency while maintaining financial discipline as the company scales its platform,” the lessor said.