CK Asset Holdings Ltd said on Friday it had agreed to sell its aircraft-leasing businesses for an aggregate of $4.28 billion, as it exits the sector while enhancing its strategic focus during the pandemic.
The Hong Kong property developer said it had agreed to sell the entire Accipiter Finance S.à r.l. and Manchester Aviation Finance S.à r.l. to Maverick Aviation Holdings Ltd, which is managed by Carlyle Aviation Partners – the commercial aviation investment and servicing arm of The Carlyle Group.
CK Asset said an aggregate profit of $170 million is estimated from the disposals.
“COVID-19 has caused a paradigm shift in the aircraft leasing sector,” CK Asset said in a filing to the Hong Kong bourse.
“The risk and return dynamics has become volatile and unpredictable, and the industry has undergone increased consolidation, mergers and acquisitions activities to mitigate such volatility,” it added.
The disposal of the two providers of commercial fixed-wing aircraft operating leases, Accipiter Finance and Manchester Aviation, involves the sale of 125 aircraft held by the firms, plus aircraft in their order books.
Reuters