BlueFive Capital, a global investment platform with $7.4 billion in assets under management (AUM), today (February 12) announced the launch of BlueFive Leasing, one of the first dedicated aircraft leasing asset management platforms in the Gulf region, marking a significant milestone in the development of the area’s aviation finance landscape.  

Based out of the firm’s office in Muscat, Oman, BlueFive Leasing was set up through its landmark partnership with one of the Omani sovereign institutions. 

It is positioned to capitalise on the robust growth of air travel in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. It will focus on leasing narrow-body and wide-body aircraft of all ages through the cycle, to a diverse client base of high-quality airlines worldwide. 

By providing a critical source of aviation capital from the GCC, BlueFive Leasing aims to extend market-leading leasing products to its airline customers, while providing its partners with access to a scalable, institutionally governed product delivering attractive, risk-adjusted returns, said the company in a statement.

Alongside the launch, the platform will commence fundraising for its first investment vehicle, BlueFive Wings Fund I, targeting in excess of a billion dollars in commitments for commercial aircraft assets, it stated.

Hazem Ben-Gacem, Founder and Chief Executive of BlueFive Capital, said: "The establishment of BlueFive Leasing reflects a strategic move to diversify the region’s investment portfolios and deepen its participation in the global aviation value chain. With our strong capital base and expert management team, the platform is well-equipped to navigate market cycles and seize opportunities in the dynamic aviation sector."

The launch of BlueFive Leasing comes six months after the BlueFive Capital opened its office in Oman, a region that has significant appetite for new products that can bolster domestic investment portfolios as well as attract external capital, he added.