Private equity and other investments into business aviation companies
Corporate Jet Investor research showing all investments into business aviation and helicopters going back to January 2003. The table is a uniqu source for company's looking for investors or possible acquistion targets.
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Corporate Jet Investor tracks all investments into private aviation companies.
We track all significant investments into business aviation and helicopters. If you would like the data as a raw excel sheet please email [email protected]
| Company | Sector | Country | Investor | Investment date | Company Value | Equity investment | Notes |
| CHC Helicopter | Operator (helicopter) | Canada | First Reserve | 29-Sep-11 | $100 million | Secondary investment | |
| PrivateFly | Charter broker | UK | Foinavon Credit Fund. | 28-Sep-11 | £1 million | PrivateFly investors include: Sam Friend, founder of wotif.com, David Scowsill, president World Travel and Tourism Council, Richard Carrick ex-CEO of Hoseasons ( PrivateFly’s chairman), Damon De Laszlo, and four other individuals. | |
| Rotorcraft | US | US | Sankaty Advisors | 15-Sep-11 | Sankaty is a fixed income and credit manager, not private quity | ||
| JetSuite | Operator | US | Tony Hsieh | 13-Sep-11 | $7 million | Hsieh is founder of Zappos.com | |
| Lobo Leasing | Finance | US | Perella Weinberg Partnersʼ Asset Based Value strategy fund | 02-Jun-11 | Helicopter lessor | ||
| Air Works | MRO | India | Elephant Capital | 18-May-11 | $3.96 million (4.8% stake) | India’s largest business jet MRO, also owns Air Livery. | |
| JetSuite | Operator | US | David Neeleman, Arcadia Woods Partners | 4-Oct -2010 | Claret Capital was early investor | ||
| Guggenheim Partners Business Aircraft Investments | Finance | US | Guggenheim funds, Directional Capital | Sep-10 | Undisclosed but aiming to build $1 billion portfolio. Different to GaFCo fund | ||
| Milestone Aviation | Finance | Ireland | The Jordan Company (lead), Nautic Partners | Aug-10 | 500 | Helicopter and business jet lessor | |
| SinglePoint | Finance | US | Acorn Growth Capital | Aug-10 | New finance company specialising in smaller deals and old aircraft | ||
| Keystone Aviation Services | Operator | US | Rizvi Traverse Management, LLC, Starwood Capital Group Global, LP, | Aug-10 | Under the terms of the transaction, Rizvi Traverse converted a portion of Key Air’s outstanding indebtedness, which it acquired from Key Air’s lenders in December 2009, into equity. Starwood has acquired an approximately 50% interest in the remaining debt and converted equity. As part of the transaction, both Rizvi Traverse and Starwood have committed to support the future growth of Key Air and help ensure its continuing financial strength. | ||
| Aircraft Investors Resources, Epic Air, Aircraft Completion Services | Manufacturer | US | LT Builders Group | 08-Apr-10 | 6.5 | Sold from Chapter 7. Epic produces kit general aviation aircraft. | |
| XOJET | Operator | US | TPG Growth, OCL (Abu Dhabi) | 21-Oct-09 | 100 | TPG also provided $370 million debt facility | |
| Flight Options | Operator | US | Directional Capital, Resilience Capital Partners | Mar-09 | |||
| JetBird | Operator | Ireland | Middle East trading group | Sep-08 | 15 | JetBird, a VLJ operator, failed to launch | |
| Jet Support Services Inc | Finance | US | R.H. Book, LLC and 1848 Capital Partners | May-08 | Largest independent hourly maintenance company | ||
| CAMP Systems | Information | US | Warburg Pincus | 2008 | 38 | Part of the recapitalization of CAMP, second lien term loan. Merrill Lynch Capital led the syndication of a term loan B. | |
| First Aviation Services | FBO | US | Goldman Sachs PIA | May-08 | Runs a FBO at Teterboro in New York | ||
| JetBird | Operator | Ireland | Unnamed Middle Eastern Trading Group | 15-Sep-08 | Failed to launch | ||
| Sentient Jet | Operator/Cards | US | Macquarie Global Opportunities Partners | 28-Sep-08 | |||
| Privatair US | Operator | US | Gama Holdings (33% owned Growth Gate and Crescent Investments, | 18-Jul-08 | |||
| Keystone Aviation Services | Operator/FBO | US | Rizvi Traverse Management, Starwood Capital | Aug-08 | Rizvi acquired company’s debt on December 28, 2009. With this investment Starwood acquired half of debt and converted equity. | ||
| National Air Services | Operator/Fractional | Saudi Arabia | Kingdom Holiding Company | 17-Jul-08 | Abraaj Capital sold 30% stake | ||
| Jet Republic | Operator/Fractional | Portugal | European American Investment Bank (Euram), Grupo Salinas, Jonathan Breeze (founder), private investors | Jun-08 | Failed to launch | ||
| Eclipse Aviation | Manufacturer | US | European Technology and Investment Research Center (ETIRC) Aviation. | 14-Jan-08 | 100 | Company filed for Chapter 11 on Nov 25 2007 | |
| Gama Holdings Ltd | Operator | UK | Growth Gate, Crescent Investment Ltd | 08-Jan-08 | Acquired 33. Gama managed 33 aircraft at the time with $10 million EBITDA | ||
| Gama Middle East and Africa | Operator | UAE | Growth Gate, Crescent Investment Ltd | 08-Jan-08 | |||
| BJETS | Operator | Singapore | Briley Group, The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) – part of Tata Group | Feb-19-2008 | |||
| Blink | Operator | UK | Sir Peter Ogden, Celox SA, one other | 10-Dec-07 | 30 | Heller Ehrman (Europe) LLP advised Blink | |
| Empire Aviation Group | Operator | UAE | Dubai International Financial Centre Investments, Zabeel | 11-Nov-07 | Undislcosed but “strategic stake” | ||
| Guggenheim aero Finance Company (GaFCo) | Finance | US | Guggenheim Partners, UBS | 01-Jun-07 | Formed with plan to securitise portfolio | ||
| Pegasus Elite Aviation | Operator | US | Merrill Lynch, Pegasus Blue Star Fund. | 01-Aug-07 | 400 | ||
| Flight Options | Operator | US | H.I.G. Capital | Nov-07 | Acquired from Raytheon. Deloitte advised Raytheon | ||
| Nextant Aerospace | Manufacturer | US | Directional Capital | Late 2007 | $24 million | programme to upgrade Beechjet 400A Hawker 400XPs | |
| Conversion | US | Lehman Brothers | 2007 | Failed to acquire CRJ aircraft for a CRJ 200 airliner to business jet conversion programme | |||
| Hemisphere 200XR | Conversion | US | Tailwind Capital LLC, Global Principal Finance Co (Merrill Lynch) | 2007 | CRJ 200 airliner to business jet conversion programme | ||
| ExecuJet | Operator/FBO/MRO | Europe, South Africa | Dermot Desmond | 17-May-07 | Acquired 50%. Possibly funded with proceeds from sale of London City Airport. | ||
| DayJet | Operator | US | new investors including eight institutions and private equity funds as well as numerous individuals | 06-Mar-07 | $50 | Third funding round organised by Raymond James. Fourth round unscuccessful and company ceases operating on on Sept. 19, 2008 | |
| Constant Aviation | MRO | US | Directional Capital | 2007 | Left over from Macquarie – Allied closing fund | ||
| Hawker Beechcraft | Manufacturer | US | Onex, Goldman Sachs | Dec-06 | $3.3 billion | $1.06bn | Acquired from Raytheon invested $1.06 billion together. |
| Avio | Manufacturer | Italy | Cinven (81%), Finmeccanica (15%) | Oct-06 | $3.27 billion | Acquired from The Carlyle Group and Finmeccanica | |
| DayJet | Operator | US | $28 million | ||||
| JetBird | Operator | Ireland | Conrado Dornier | Nov-06 | Private | Failed to launch | |
| JetBird | Operator | Ireland | Claret Capital | 2006 | $45 million | Failed to launch | |
| JetDirect Aviation | Operator/FBO | US | Brantley Partners, HSBC Private Equity, ABS Capital Partners V, AIG Co-Investment Fund | 14-Sep-06 | JetDirect Aviation | 100.2 | Filed for Chapter 7 on May 7 2009 |
| Eclipse Aviation | Manufacturer | US | Sand Hill Corporation, Gates Family, Undisclosed investors | 2004 | $201 million | ||
| Keystone Aviation Services | Operator/FBO | US | Rizvi Traverse Management | 2004 | |||
| CAMP Systems | Information | US | CAMP Systems | Feb-05 | Boston Ventures sold stake to CAMP. Allen & Company LLC and Kilpatrick Stockton LLP advised CAMP on the transaction. Willkie Farr and Gallagher advised Warburg Pincus. | ||
| JetSuite | Operator | US | Claret Capital | 2005 | |||
| Jet Aviation | Maintenance | Switz | Permira Europe | Oct-05 | $91.3 million | Sold in Aug 2008 to General Dynamics | |
| Pogo Jet | Operator | US | Julian Robertson of Tiger Management ($4 million), William Rutledge, former CEO of Teledyne ($3 million), Don Burrs/Robert Crandall ($1 million combined) | 2005 | $8 million | First funding round. Pogo failed to launch. | |
| Eclipse Aviation | Manufacturer | US | Sand Hill Corporation ($42m), Gates Family, Undisclosed investors | 2004 | $201 million | ||
| Adam Aircraft | Manufacturer | US | Arcadia Partners, DE Shaw, Hunt Capital Growth Fund, W Capital Partners, Tinicum Inc, GS Capital Partners, Doll Capital Management, Mesirow Financial, Tinicum Capital Partners | 2003 | 121.1 | Investors came in over three investment rounds | |
| Cirrus Industries | Manufactuer | US | Arcapita Capital (then Crescent Capital) | August 2001 | $100 million (58%) | Sold to AVIC in 2011 | |
| CAMP Systems | Information | US | Boston Ventures | 2000 | Van M. Mankwitz sold to Boston | ||
| Corporate Wings | Operator | US | Kenn Ricci (now Directional Capital) | 1980 | Launched by Kenn Ricci who later founded Flight Options | ||
| NetJets | Operator | US | Goldman Sachs | 1980 |
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