Lucaria · Products · Aviation Finance
$500K – $100M+Aviation Finance
Commercial credit secured by entity-held aircraft — $500K to $100M+ — from turboprops to corporate airliners. Acquisitions, refinances, and equity release, structured asset-based or credit-based to fit how much you care to disclose.
Who it’s for
- Owners and operators acquiring or upgrading — turboprop to long-range jet — through an LLC or trust.
- Principals who want equity out of the airframe without selling it or disturbing the portfolio.
- Operators whose Part 135 charter use makes bank aviation desks hesitate.
Why Lucaria
- Two lanes, told straight: asset-based (privacy, minimal disclosure, lower leverage) or credit-based (maximum leverage) — we tell you which fits.
- Older airframes, engines, and completions most banks won’t touch are financeable in the right hands.
- Keep your bank for banking — no assets-under-management requirement to get aviation credit.
Market bands, told straight
Honest numbers
Aviation credit is a known market with known bands. There is no upper limit — nine-figure transactions are placed through our lender network.
- Deal size
- $500K – $100M+
- Typical down payment
- 10–25% — more for commercial-use rotorcraft
- Terms
- 5–20 years, amortization matched to utilization
- Aircraft age
- airframes past 15 years remain financeable — advance rates step down with age
Market bands, not a quote — make and model, hours, engine-program status, and how the aircraft is operated all move the number.
How we structure it
Structured for how aircraft are actually owned
We are experienced in structuring credit for the entities our clients actually use — LLCs, trusts, partnerships, and holding companies. The asset stays where it belongs — in your hangar, on your wall, at your dock — while its equity goes to work.
- Ownership through LLCs, trusts, and holding companies presented to lenders as the norm, not an exception
- Pre-buy inspection run in parallel with underwriting, so diligence doesn’t stall the close
- Engine-program enrollment and airframe pedigree positioned to improve terms
- Part 91 and Part 135 use structured correctly up front — charter revenue changes the credit, and we say how
- Asset-based structures with minimal financial disclosure when privacy is the point
The honest read
Why banks say no — and why that isn’t the end
- Bank aviation desks thin out past 15-year airframes, helicopters, and engine-only financings.
- Part 135 charter use trips policy limits at many banks regardless of the operator’s quality.
- Private banks will lend — if you move assets under management. That is a wealth-management sale, not an aircraft loan.
Common questions
Aviation Finance, answered straight.
- Can the loan be made to my LLC or trust?
- Yes — that is the standard case, not the exception. Aircraft are held in LLCs, trusts, and holding companies for sound legal and operational reasons, and we present those structures to lenders daily.
- Asset-based or credit-based — which is right for me?
- Asset-based lending underwrites the aircraft: more privacy, minimal financial disclosure, lower leverage. Credit-based lending underwrites you: maximum leverage, sometimes the full purchase, more disclosure. The honest answer depends on what you value — we lay out both before you choose.
- How much down payment should I expect?
- Typically 10–25% of the purchase price, with more expected for commercial-use rotorcraft and older airframes. Strong credit profiles can push leverage higher.
- Does chartering my aircraft change the financing?
- Yes. Part 135 charter use changes how lenders view wear, revenue, and risk — some decline it outright, others price it well. Getting the operating story right up front is the difference between a stalled file and a funded one.
- Can you finance an older aircraft?
- Yes. Airframes past 15 years remain financeable, though advance rates step down with age — and engine-program enrollment and pedigree meaningfully improve terms.
- Do I have to move my banking or investments to get the loan?
- No. Private banks often condition aviation credit on assets under management. Our lender network does not require you to move anything — keep your bank for banking.
- Why is this a business loan?
- The aircraft is owned by an LLC, trust, or holding company and financed for business and investment purposes. This is commercial, entity-level credit — never financing for personal, family, or household use.
No obligation
Tell us what you need.
No credit pull to start. We’ll show you the honest options for aviation finance — and if borrowing isn’t the answer, we’ll say so.