AMTRA Aero, and Nehalem Aviation Holdings, have formed a joint venture, Nexus Aviation Ventures, to source, convert and lease Airbus A321 freighter aircraft. “We are excited to be working together with the Nehalem team. We believe the A321 platform is the future of narrow-body freighters”, said Pablo Aguirre, Chief Commercial Officer of AMTRA.
The joint venture has signed a purchase agreement for its first aircraft and has a second under LOI having secured conversion slots with 321 Precision Conversions in the second half of 2023. Expected delivery of the first freighter will be first quarter 2024.
AMTRA Aero was formed in 2021 by the Coretz family, former owners of Omni Air International, as an aircraft and engine leasing platform. The joint venture will allow AMTRA to build a portfolio of A321 freighter aircraft that will be made available to cargo operators. AMTRA Aero forms part of a family of companies which include AMTRA Capital Partners, LLC and Zoom International Airways LLC. The company is headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Nehalem was formed in 2020 and secured its first aircraft, a Boeing 757-200 which was converted by Precision Conversions to freighter configuration and leased to Amerijet Aircraft Leasing. The principles of Nehalem consist of the family offices of the McCullough and Erickson families who have worked together for over 20 years in various aviation business endeavours.
