Castlelake, a US investment firm specializing in aviation-related assets, announced on September 25, 2024, that it has raised $1 billion with the intention of acquiring some 60 aircraft.
This fresh capital was provided by several financial institutions, including Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, BNP Paribas and MUFG, as a term loan facility.
Rather than ordering them from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), Castlelake aims to buy aircraft already in service from their current owners. This could be from leasing companies, airlines, or other organizations.
While giving no specific details of the airframes involved in these future acquisitions, Castlelake explained that they are already in service with around 30 airlines globally.
Besides this announcement, two other major transactions executed by Castlelake have garnered much public attention during the last few weeks.
The investment firm is a member of the consortium that completed the acquisition of 86.4% in the capital of SAS on August 30, 2024, as part of the Scandinavian carrier’s restructuring process.
Then, on September 13, 2024, Castlelake announced the sale of one of its subsidiaries, Castlelake Aviation (CA) together with its portfolio of 118 aircraft, to leasing giant Avolon for $5 billion.