Airborne Capital entered into a joint venture agreement with Mercuria Investment Co., a subsidiary of Mercuria Investment Holdings, for the operation of a new entity in Japan called Mercuria Airborne Capital.

The new entity will provide Airborne Capital with increased access to Japanese aviation investors and will enable Mercuria to further expand its expertise in cross-border alternative investments, catering to Japanese investors seeking bespoke aviation investments. The business will be a bridge between the specific needs of Japanese aviation investors and the changing dynamics in the global aviation market.

Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, aircraft investment continues to provide attractive investment and yield opportunities to investors worldwide, and the new entity is being established in anticipation that the role institutional investors play in the aviation leasing industry will grow at a faster pace.

Mercuria is a multi-strategy investment management group with offices in Tokyo, Beijing, Hong Kong and Bangkok, and it has roughly $2 billion in assets under management. Mercuria provides solutions in growth, buyout and real asset investments to Japanese and overseas investors.

Airborne Capital is a specialist aircraft leasing and asset management business headquartered in Ireland and with a presence in Shannon, Ireland, as well as in Dublin, London, New York, Montreal, Hong Kong, Seoul and Tokyo. Airborne Capital was established in 2017 and manages approximately $1 billion of aircraft assets through relationships with a global set of investors, including Japanese investors.

“This joint venture is an exciting step for Mercuria and will broaden the range of international alternative investment opportunities we can offer our clients,” Toshihiro Toyoshima, CEO of Mercuria, said. “The business marries Airborne’s global aviation finance expertise with our strong client base and investment pedigree.”

“We are delighted to partner with Mercuria and expand on our already successful operations in Japan,” Ramki Sundaram, CEO of Airborne Capital, said. “Mercuria Airborne Capital will offer institutional investors in Japan access to a growing range of attractive investment opportunities in the global aviation finance sector.”