Apollo Global Management and Merx Aviation, a global aircraft leasing, management and finance company, completed a sale and leaseback transaction with Delta Air Lines for 10 Airbus A220-100 aircraft. The aircraft, manufactured in 2019, were acquired by an aviation platform established by Apollo, which invests in a set of aircraft types, vintages and jurisdictions serviced by Merx.

“We are pleased to have closed this transaction with Delta, one of the world’s leading airlines, and to add the new and innovative A220 aircraft type to our portfolio,” Gary Rothschild, CEO of Merx and head of aviation finance at Apollo, said. “In a time of significant market stress, the Apollo platform and Merx were able to act as a capital solutions provider in a transaction that contributes to Delta’s increased financial liquidity to manage a challenging aviation market. We look forward to continuing our relationship with Delta and other airlines to provide greater financial flexibility.”

The A220 is a part of the future of Delta’s domestic fleet and is powered by Pratt & Whitney PW1500G geared turbofan engines and incorporates composite materials.

Merx operates an integrated aviation platform focused on global aircraft leasing, management and finance, with an owned and managed fleet spanning 26 countries. Based 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, an affiliate of Apollo, which is a global alternative investment manager.