Petrus Aviation
Dallas-based aviation financing provider, part of the Perot family office, supplying flexible capital for aircraft and engine leasing, trading, part-out, and freighter conversions to commercial passenger and cargo airlines and lessors worldwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersDallas, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Petrus Aviation does
Petrus Aviation, LLC is a Dallas, Texas-based aviation financing and capital provider founded in 2003 and operating as part of the Perot family office (affiliated with Petrus Asset Management and the family of H. Ross Perot). The company supplies equity and capital to the commercial aviation industry, financing investments across aircraft and engine operating leases, asset trading, engine part-out and teardown, and passenger-to-freighter conversions. It serves commercial passenger airlines, cargo/freight airlines, and aircraft lessors and traders worldwide, having financed over 150 aircraft since inception across nearly every segment of commercial aviation, from narrow-body and wide-body jets to regional jets, turboprops (e.g., ATR 72-600, Saab 340B, Cessna 208B Grand Caravan) and a range of engine types (CFM56, CF6, GE90, CT7, RB211).
The business model is asset-based rather than software-based. Revenue is generated through recurring operating-lease payments on aircraft and engines, transaction-based gains from speculative asset trading and structured loans, part-out/component sales, and equity capital deployed into freighter conversions where Petrus retains ownership post-conversion. Deals are bespoke and quote-based, structured around specific asset values, terms, and customer profiles; no standard pricing tiers are publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is a direct, relationship-led enterprise motion executed by a small specialized team, frequently in partnership with aircraft lessors, traders, and operators such as Jetstream Aviation Capital, Trinity Aero Capital, Regional One, and Hamden Aviation, which co-invest and manage operational responsibilities.
Petrus positions itself on patient, flexible, long-term capital with simple, aligned structures, leveraging the advisory capabilities and reputation of the Perot family office platform. The company is privately held under Perot family ownership (parent entity Perot Investments, Inc. / Petrus Asset Management), reports no institutional venture or private equity backing, employs an estimated 5-10 people, and remains actively operating, announcing new aircraft acquisitions and deliveries as recently as 2025.
Petrus Aviation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Petrus Aviation
- Legal name
- Petrus Aviation, LLC
- Website
- https://petrus-aviation.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Dallas-based aviation financing provider, part of the Perot family office, supplying flexible capital for aircraft and engine leasing, trading, part-out, and freighter conversions to commercial passenger and cargo airlines and lessors worldwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Petrus Aviation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dallas
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Petrus Aviation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Aircraft and Engine Operating Leases: Invests in aircraft and engines for short- or long-term lease to airlines around the world, predominantly in an operating lease structure. Generates recurring revenue from lease payments.
- Asset Trading: Invests speculatively in aircraft and engines for lease or sale. Provides capital or structured loans to facilitate purchase and resale of assets. Core part of business since inception.
- Freighter Conversions: Provides equity capital for acquisition and conversion of freighter aircraft. Following conversion, continues to own aircraft as part of leasing portfolio.
- Part-Out and Engine Sales: Teardown of engines and part-out of aircraft, selling components to other operators and customers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom financing arrangements based on asset type, term, and customer profile |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels2 records
Petrus Aviation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Petrus Aviation provides equity and capital to the aviation industry, financing investments in aircraft and engine leasing, trading, part-out, and freighter conversions. It acquires aircraft and engines on its own balance sheet, holds them in operating leases to commercial passenger and cargo airlines worldwide, and structures custom patient-capital investments often via co-investments with operating partners.
Product overview
Petrus Aviation is an aviation financing company offering a unified suite of services centered on aircraft and engine leasing, asset trading, and freighter conversions. Their core product offering combines financing expertise with a diverse portfolio spanning commercial jets (Airbus A320 family, Boeing 737/757/767/747), regional aircraft (Embraer E-Jet family, Bombardier CRJ, Saab 340B, ATR 72-600), turboprops (Cessna 208B Grand Caravan), and engines (CFM56, CF6, GE90, CT7, RB211). The company operates as a single integrated aviation capital provider rather than a modular platform, serving airlines worldwide through operating leases, structured loans, and equity investments in aircraft acquisitions and freighter conversions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Aircraft and Engine Leasing Short- and long-term operating leases for a variety of aircraft and engine types to airlines worldwide, including narrow-body, wide-body, regional jet, and turboprop aircraft.
- Freighter Conversions Equity capital provision for the acquisition and conversion of passenger aircraft to freighter configuration, including 757, 737, and turboprop aircraft, with continued ownership of the asset post-conversion.
- Asset Trading Speculative investment in aircraft and engines for lease or sale, including capital or structured loans to facilitate purchase and resale of aviation assets.
- Part-Out and Engine Sales Teardown of engines and part-out of aircraft, with components sold to other operators and customers worldwide.
- Structured Equity and Loan Investments Customized equity capital and structured loan facilities provided to airlines, lessors, and traders to facilitate aircraft acquisition, refinancing, and freighter-conversion transactions.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 150 aircraft financed since 2003 across almost every segment of commercial aviation
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Petrus Aviation
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Petrus Aviation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Petrus Aviation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.
- LoganairmajorLatest aircraft to be delivered onto lease, MSN 1126, was delivered to Loganair via a joint venture with Jetstream Aviation Capital. The collaboration is designed to optimize the Loganair fleet and expand service in the United Kingdom.
- AmerijetmajorPetrus Aviation announced the addition of a B757-200PCF to its growing fleet, strengthening partnership with Amerijet through acquisition of second B757-200PCF to bolster its fleet.
- Pascan AviationmajorPetrus Aviation, in partnership with Jetstream Aviation Capital, delivered one Saab 340B, serial 340B-327, to Pascan Aviation in Longueuil, Quebec, Canada. This was the third of four aircraft scheduled to deliver to Pascan.
- Silver AirwaysmajorPetrus Aviation, in partnership with Jetstream Aviation Capital, delivered one ATR72-600, serial 1185, to Silver Airways. Additional ATR 72 aircraft to be delivered in upcoming months as part of strategic alliance.
- Trinity Aero Capital Inc.corePetrus Aviation partnered with Trinity Aero Capital to acquire and lease 10 new Cessna 208B Grand Caravans to Azul Conecta for operation throughout Brazil. On December 16, 2022, delivered the 9th Caravan, celebrating Textron's 3000th Cessna Grand Caravan delivery.
- Textron AviationcorePetrus Aviation and Trinity Aero Capital partnered with Textron Aviation to deliver Cessna 208B Grand Caravans. On December 16, 2022, they celebrated delivery of the 9th Caravan to Azul Conecta, which also marked Textron's 3000th Cessna Grand Caravan delivery.
- Jetstream Aviation CapitalcorePetrus Aviation has partnered with Jetstream Aviation to acquire a total of 11 ATR 72-600 aircraft (first 5 closed November 17, 2022, remaining 6 closed December 6, 2022). Also partnered for delivery of 10 Saab 340B aircraft to operators in US and Canada. The aircraft are maintained and leased to operators in Europe and North America.
- Regional OnemajorPetrus Aviation and Regional One partnered to deliver the first of three Embraer E195s to Breeze Airways. Both companies are excited to be supporting Breeze's expansion with E190 family investments.
- GE Aviation MaterialsminorPetrus Aviation completed the sale of one GE90-115B engine to GE Aviation Materials, based in Euless, TX. The engine was purchased new from GE in 2015 and previously operated with Air France and Ethiopian Airlines.
- Hamden AviationmajorPetrus Aviation partnered with Connecticut-based Hamden Aviation to refinance two leased Boeing 737-400 freighter aircraft. Jointly developed a flexible equity partnership structure to facilitate debt repayment and new ownership. Aircraft are leased to ASL Airlines in Ireland and Raya Airways in Malaysia.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Petrus Aviation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- AerCap Holdings: World's largest aircraft lessor with broad portfolio across narrow-body, wide-body, and freighter aircraft. Comparable business model at vastly greater scale, representing the upper-bound competitive benchmark.
- Avolon Aerospace Leasing: Major global aircraft lessor with diversified portfolio and capital-markets access. Compares on core product (operating leases to commercial airlines) at significantly larger scale.
- Air Lease Corporation: Large global aircraft lessor with new and young fleet across all major commercial types. Compares on product (operating leases) but at materially larger scale than Petrus.
- SMBC Aviation Capital: Top-tier global aircraft lessor owned by Sumitomo Mitsui. Comparable operating lease and trading activities at vastly larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
Direct peers
- Trinity Aero Capital: Specialty aircraft lessor co-investing with Petrus on regional turboprop (Cessna Grand Caravan) leases to operators like Azul Conecta. Directly comparable niche focus and partnership-driven model.
- BBAM Aircraft Management: Independent aircraft lessor and asset manager with operating lease and trading capabilities across narrow-body and regional aircraft. Comparable business model with similar mid-tier positioning.
- Aero Capital Solutions: Boutique aircraft lessor and financing firm focused on commercial aircraft leasing, structured equity, and part-out transactions. Closely comparable to Petrus in scale, customer segment (regional and mainline airlines), and capital structures.
- Jackson Square Aviation: Mid-sized boutique aircraft lessor offering operating leases to airlines globally. Comparable in scale and customer base (commercial passenger and cargo airlines).
- Nordic Aviation Capital: Specialty lessor focused on regional aircraft (ATR, Dash 8, CRJ) — directly comparable portfolio composition and customer type to Petrus's turboprop/regional jet leasing business.
- Jetstream Aviation Capital: Aircraft lessor and co-investment partner of Petrus Aviation; focuses on turboprops and regional aircraft leasing. Highly comparable in portfolio composition and counterparty ecosystem.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Petrus Aviation social profiles
Digital presencePetrus Aviation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Petrus Aviation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Petrus Aviation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Petrus Aviation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Petrus Aviation
What does Petrus Aviation do?
Petrus Aviation provides equity and capital to the aviation industry, financing investments in aircraft and engine leasing, trading, part-out, and freighter conversions. It acquires aircraft and engines on its own balance sheet, holds them in operating leases to commercial passenger and cargo airlines worldwide, and structures custom patient-capital investments often via co-investments with operating partners.
Is Petrus Aviation a public or private company?
Petrus Aviation is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Petrus Aviation founded?
Petrus Aviation was founded in 2003. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Petrus Aviation based?
Petrus Aviation is headquartered in Dallas, United States, in the North America region.
How does Petrus Aviation make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Aircraft and Engine Operating Leases are the primary driver. The others are asset Trading, freighter Conversions and part-Out and Engine Sales.
Who are Petrus Aviation's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are AerCap Holdings, Avolon Aerospace Leasing, Air Lease Corporation and SMBC Aviation Capital. Direct peers are Trinity Aero Capital, BBAM Aircraft Management, Aero Capital Solutions, Jackson Square Aviation, Nordic Aviation Capital and Jetstream Aviation Capital.
Does Petrus Aviation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Petrus Aviation.