Aircraft financing has evolved into a strategic part of business-jet acquisition, rather than a last-step funding exercise, an IADA panel argued at a recent industry discussion. The session brought together four finance specialists from the aircraft dealer body and urged buyers to seek financing guidance early, before selecting a specific aircraft.
The panel included Patrick Gentile of PNC Financial Services Group, Ben Hockenberg of JSSI, Sarah Yarnes of First American Equipment Finance and Mike Christie of Global Jet Capital, with Josh Mesinger of Mesinger Jet Sales moderating. Their discussion reflected a market in which financing options now extend well beyond traditional bank lending to include sponsor-based underwriting, asset-based financing, operating leases, progress-payment funding and specialised cross-border structures.
The speakers framed financing as a factor that can shape capital allocation, ownership flexibility, risk exposure and long-term asset value. For buyers, that means the financing path can influence not only how a deal is closed, but also which aircraft is selected and when the transaction moves forward.