Irelandia Aviation (Irelandia), the investment group behind several low cost airline carriers, has today (26 November 2017) announced the establishment of a new division, AerDrone International, a platform dedicated to commercial drone leasing.

AerDrone International will be based in Dublin which is now well established as a global leader in aviation finance and leasing. AerDrone International will leverage the existing leasing ecosystem in Ireland, which includes vast expertise as well as a favourable regulatory environment, to develop a global footprint and marketplace.

“We are excited about this opportunity for commercial drone leasing”, said Declan Ryan of Irelandia Aviation. “Drones are a fast developing aviation asset with a wide range of commercial markets including construction, infrastructure inspection, insurance, search and rescue, agriculture, mapping and cinematography. Commercial drones offer financial attributes akin to commercial aircraft including long asset life, rotatable parts, mobility, commercial applications and a global footprint”, he said.

“Dublin is a world class location for AerDrone International, as many of the key stakeholders are based here since the 1980’s. We have already begun to engage with potential investors, drone manufacturers and customers to develop a financially efficient platform that provides drones on lease to commercial partners”, Ryan added.

AerDrone International will be initially funded by Irelandia and will work with financial institutions, aircraft lessors, insurers and private equity groups to develop this market and expects to announce management appointments early in 2018.