Aquila Air Capital has announced plans to open a new office in Fort Worth, Texas, as the Dublin-based lessor expands into the US market.
The new office is Aquila’s first in the US, and its launch was revealed for the first time at this week's Airline Economics Growth Frontiers Americas conference in New York.
“Fort Worth’s rising profile as a leading hub for the global aviation and aerospace industry is the principal reason we chose to locate our US office in this area,” said Al Wood, CEO of Aquila. “Here we can continue our growth as a leading full-service engine leasing platform.”
The Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex is home to a wide range of aviation investors, lessors, airlines, engineering and MRO firms, including Lockheed Martin, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Embraer, Gulfstream Aerospace and MTU Aero Engines.
Fort Worth's transformation into a major business destination has fuelled the growth of the region’s aviation cluster, expanding the state’s footprint in the industry.
Founded in 2021, Aquila is a specialty finance platform focused on providing aviation asset financing, as well as purchasing and leasing aircraft and engines.
It is backed by funds managed from Wafra, a New York-based, global alternative asset manager.