Bridgepoint, GFH Bank (GFH) and AIP Capital have announced a new partnership focused on acquiring next-generation commercial aircraft engines.
GFH’s involvement as a strategic partner represents the next phase of Bridgepoint and AIP Capital’s collaboration to build a diversified commercial aircraft engine portfolio valued at more than US$1 billion. The partnership was established in 2024 with the joint acquisition of an initial portfolio of LEAP-1B engines and has since expanded, including an agreement announced in July 2026 to purchase a further 11 LEAP-1B engines from CFM International.
GFH will join Bridgepoint as a major investor in the new platform, with additional capital to be raised from institutional and private investors to support its US$1 billion portfolio target. The partnership marks GFH’s entry into the aviation sector and will focus on acquiring and leasing next-generation and current-generation aircraft engines to airlines, MRO providers and other operators. Investments will include direct purchases, sale-and-leaseback transactions, secondary acquisitions and finance leases. AIP Capital will oversee portfolio sourcing, asset management and trading, drawing on its technical expertise and established aviation industry relationships.
Mr Hammad Younas, CEO of GFH Equities, commented on the new cooperation: “Our partnership with Bridgepoint and AIP Capital reflects GFH’s established strategy of aligning with world-class managers to deliver differentiated and defensive asset-backed opportunities to our clients, while marking our entry into the aviation sector. Aircraft engines represent a compelling asset class, combining resilient, contracted cash flows with robust long-term structural demand. We look forward to working alongside our partners to scale the platform and provide investors across the region with access to this growing segment of the global aviation market.”
Marc Younan, Managing Director and Head of Middle East Investor Relations at Bridgepoint, added: “The Middle East is one of the fastest-growing sources of capital for private markets and a priority region for Bridgepoint. We are delighted to welcome GFH, one of the Gulf’s most established financial institutions, as a strategic partner to the venture. GFH’s strong investment platform and extensive relationships across the GCC will be highly complementary as we continue to scale the strategy and deepen our partnerships across the region.”
