Apollo Global Management (together with its consolidated subsidiaries, “Apollo”), Athene Holding and GE Capital, the financial services arm of GE, have entered into a definitive agreement for Apollo and Athene to purchase PK AirFinance, an aviation lending business, from GE Capital’s Aviation Services (GECAS) unit. In connection with this transaction, Apollo will acquire the PK AirFinance aircraft lending platform and Athene will acquire PK AirFinance’s existing portfolio of loans.
PK AirFinance is a leading aircraft lending business that serves airlines, aircraft traders, lessors, investors and financial institutions globally with loans to borrowers in more than 40 countries. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed, although the US$3.6 billion of PK AirFinance financing receivables that were held for sale in the second quarter of 2019 are being sold at a premium-to book value in this transaction.
Alec Burger, GE Capital President & CEO, said, “Apollo’s vast lending experience, complementary platforms, and exceptional track record across diversified assets and geographies make it the ideal partner to accelerate PK AirFinance’s growth. This sale is aligned to GE Capital’s overall strategy to become smaller and simpler, and our commitment to reduce our assets by US$10 billion in 2019 is now more than halfway complete. We continue to focus on shrinking GE Capital’s balance sheet, achieving a debt-to-equity ratio of less than four-times by 2020, and supporting GE Industrial growth through our remaining GECAS, Energy Financial Services, and Industrial Finance businesses.”
The completion of the acquisition is subject to customary conditions and is expected to close during the fourth quarter of 2019.
