Investment firm KKR plans to invest up to $1.4 billion in aircraft financing deals over the coming four years through Seattle-based Altavair, its aviation finance specialist partner. This commitment was announced on June 17, 2026, on Altavair’s website.
Aviation is not a new field for New York City-based KKR. The diversified financial operator has allocated around $12 billion to deals in the industry over the last decade and acquired a 50% stake in Altavair in 2018. Since then, the two companies have worked together in structuring deals for the financing of 188 commercial aircraft for airlines all around the world.
One particular structure that KKR and Altavair have mastered is the purchase-and-leaseback of commercial aircraft. Airlines needing cash can sell their aircraft to the investors, which immediately lease them back to the same airline in exchange for a string of recurrent payments over a long time.
Besides this particular fleet financing modality, Altavair is also known for its investments in the passenger-to-freight (P2F) conversion, which consists of giving used airliners a new lease of life by converting them into cargo aircraft.
In a press statement announcing the deal, both companies highlighted that this move was a response to the continued growth in air travel demand and the related need for airlines to have access to liquidity and flexibility to fund the buildup of their fleets.