Funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management and Merx Aviation, an aircraft leasing, management and finance company, completed a sale and leaseback transaction with Air France, which is part of the Air France-KLM Group. The transaction consists of two Boeing 777F aircraft.

The aircraft, manufactured in 2009, were acquired by an aviation platform established by Apollo, which invests in a range of aircraft types, vintages and jurisdictions and is serviced by Merx.

“We are pleased to have closed this transaction with Air France and to add two more of the highly capable 777F aircraft type to our portfolio,” Gary Rothschild, CEO of Merx and head of aviation finance at Apollo, said. “The 777F is a premier long-haul freighter and an integral part of the global cargo fleet. In the current environment of strong demand for international air freight, the 777F’s capacity and range allow operators to transport large amounts of cargo quickly and efficiently over long distances while minimizing fuel stops and associated costs. This transaction continues to show how the Apollo platform and Merx together act as a flexible capital solutions provider, creating accretive transactions for both our investors and counterparties. We look forward to continuing our relationship with Air France and other airlines to provide greater financial flexibility.”

Merx operates an aviation platform with an owned and managed fleet spanning 28 countries. With operations in New York, Dublin and Singapore, Merx was founded in 2012 and is a wholly-owned portfolio company of Apollo Investment Corporation, a publicly traded business development company managed by Apollo Investment Management.