WOLF Holding, also known as Waypoint Operating Lease Finance, has launched a $500 million equity capital raise for the acquisition of high-utility commercial aviation assets with lease and trade applications.
WOLF, a Dublin-based aviation asset investment management company affiliated with Avia Solutions Group (ASG), will focus primarily on acquiring mid-life narrowbody aircraft assets, including Boeing 737s and Airbus A320s. WOLF will also consider investments in widebody aircraft and engines. The capital, sourced from a diversified base of global investors, will be deployed over 18 months.
WOLF is an aircraft investment vehicle designed to leverage the operating strength of Avia Solutions Group (“ASG”). WOLF Holding is uniquely positioned to invest in aircraft on lease by leveraging ASG’s global network of airlines, Maintenance & Repair Organisations (“MRO”) network and other aviation eco-system service companies to minimise both the execution & the remarketing risk and by providing cost-effective services worldwide while maximising investors’ equity return.
The investment manager’s primary focus will be on securing third-party lessees for assets under management, while maintaining the flexibility to place aircraft with the Avia Solutions Group’s ACMI operators when required. Assets under WOLF’s management will benefit from priority access to FL Technics, the Group’s global MRO provider, enabling faster aircraft turnaround and minimising downtime between leases. WOLF can therefore offer investors a substantial advantage over typical aviation asset managers in the areas of deal flow, scalability, management cost & efficiency, and downside protection.
Emzon Shung will lead WOLF as its CEO. He brings extensive experience in aviation asset management, having previously served as Managing Director at MG Aviation, which specialises in full life-cycle management of Boeing and Airbus order book aircraft.
The WOLF team also includes Stan Chmielewski – Executive Advisor and Head of Lessor Trading, Brian Power – Head of Technical and Asset Management and Vahan Callan – Head of Capital Markets
Emzon Shung, CEO of WOLF, said: “WOLF is a natural fit for Avia Solutions Group. The Group’s airlines, MRO, and corporate infrastructure set WOLF up for success from day one. We also fully expect that supporting WOLF will enhance the value of our group companies as they more fully realise their potential by increasing the services offered to the asset management space. We look forward to realising the value we create together with investors.”
Vahan Callan, Head of Capital Markets of WOLF, said: “WOLF redefines best in class among aviation asset managers. We have all the characteristics the market expects of a leasing and trading platform, with our team of industry veterans providing the intellectual value addition, along with our ability to leverage the wider Group’s resources to compose and manage a robust portfolio of aircraft assets. This includes priority access to MRO support and the unprecedented downside protection WOLF offers in the form of contingent leases with the Group’s carriers. WOLF’s projected growth trajectory tracks that of the Group’s airlines.”
He added, “The Group currently operates 200+ aircraft, with 80 Boeing 737-MAX aircraft on order, and is on target to operate 500+ aircraft by 2030. The alignment of strategic growth interests combined with superior downside protection translates to superior alignment of interests and risk-adjusted returns for investors”
Avia Solutions Group, headquartered in Dublin, operates across six continents with a fleet of more than 200 aircraft and subsidiaries in MRO, training, ground handling, and aviation services. The creation of WOLF further strengthens the Group’s position as a leading global aviation services provider.
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