The High Financial Strata

Altavair L.P. has announced the signing of an agreement by which it will lease ten Airbus A330-300 jets to Amazon Air. Subject aircraft will be delivered following their conversion to freighters by Elbe Flugzeugwerke GmbH—a joint venture between ST Engineering Aerospace and Airbus. The aircraft are owned by funds and accounts managed by KKR, with Altavair brokering the deal and acting as lease servicer.

The first of the A330 freighters are slated to enter service with Amazon Air in late 2023.

Altavair CEO Steve Rimmer diffidently remarked: “We are thrilled to have presented this opportunity to Amazon Air, and look forward to growing this relationship further. Our ability to execute this complex transaction in a challenging environment for the aviation industry is a testament to our decades of experience leasing cargo aircraft, our team’s creativity, and KKR’s ongoing support of our strategy. We are very appreciative that Amazon Air placed its confidence with the Altavair team to make this transaction a reality.”

KKR directors Patrick Clancy and Andrew Peisch echoed Mr. Rimmer’s sentiments, stating: “Together with Altavair, we are happy to support Amazon with this transaction, which marks an important milestone in our continued efforts to build relationships with leading carriers around the world.”

Not to be excluded from the ebullient wheedling, Amazon Global Air vice president Sarah Rhoads added: “We’re pleased to work with Altavair. The team’s expertise and tenure in the industry make them an excellent partner, which enables us to focus on operational excellence to deliver on customer promises.”

In keeping with the convoluted dynamics of 21st Century global enterprise, KKR Capital Markets and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) acted as Joint Mandated Lead Arrangers. MUFG acted, also, as Structuring Agent and Hedge Provider in the Amazon Air transaction.

Since its inception in 2003, Altavair has completed over $10-billion in commercial aircraft lease transactions with over sixty airline customers in 28 countries representing over two-hundred individual Boeing and Airbus aircraft. The company is headquartered in Issaquah, Washington, about 13-nautical-miles west of Seattle, and maintains offices in London, Dublin, and Singapore.

FMI: www.altavair.com