Private equity firm Vanterra Capital and its affiliates ("Vanterra" or the "Firm") formally announced a strategic anchor investment in Flight Lease Fund Management and its affiliates ("Flight Lease" or the "Fund"), an investment platform focused on acquiring mid to late-stage aviation assets.  Flight Lease is headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, and manages a portfolio of aviation assets globally.

The Fund is a continuation of Flight Lease's investment strategy, which is focused on acquiring used commercial aircraft and engines and generating current income through leasing and/or financing assets to a diversified base of cargo and passenger airline operators globally. Flight Lease's strategy employs a unique buying model for selecting the right assetsfor purchase, at the right price using proprietary data and fleet analytics.

Additionally, COVID-19 has caused significant distress and dislocation throughout the aviation equipment segment. Flight Lease believes the current dislocation provides a particularly unique and compelling investment environment for the Fund and its investment strategy.

Vanterra, a firm with a successful track record in partnering with best-in-class emerging managers, provided the anchor commitment to Flight Lease as part of the inaugural Fund's $100 million initial closing.  Due to the substantial market dislocation caused by COVID-19, Vanterra and Flight Lease elected to upsize the Fund and associated parallel vehicles to $205 million.  Flight Lease held a final closing on February 26, 2021, which consisted of various prominent institutional investors and leading family offices.  Vanterra will participate on the Investment Committee of the Fund.

"Domain specific expertise is critical to successfully investing in aviation and the Flight Lease management team brings extensive operating backgrounds and a deep understanding of this space," said Ryan Euell of Vanterra.  Vanterra's strategic partnership with Flight Lease resulted from the Firm's interest in developing a specialized credit platform that generated high cash flow yield and an asymmetric risk/return profile.