NAFCO
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersTampa, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
NAFCO firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- NAFCO
- Legal name
- National Aircraft Finance Company
- Website
- https://airloans.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where NAFCO is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tampa
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
NAFCO business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Aircraft Lending/Financing: NAFCO generates revenue through interest income on aircraft loans. As a division of Lake Michigan Credit Union, they provide financing for single and twin-engine piston, turboprop, jet, experimental, and vintage aircraft. Revenue is generated from loan origination and ongoing interest payments over the life of the loans.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Monthly | Piston Aircraft Loans - New and used single and twin-engine piston aircraft with no age restrictions |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Monthly | Turboprop & Jet Financing - Custom programs built to credit credentials, collateral, and usage |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Monthly | Experimental Aircraft Loans - Tailored programs for various experimental aircraft types |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Monthly | Avionics Upgrades - Financing for aircraft upgrades, can be combined with purchase or standalone |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Monthly | Engine Overhauls - Combined financing for aircraft purchase with major engine overhaul |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
NAFCO product offering
Product offeringCore offering
NAFCO is a specialized aviation lender that provides financing for piston, turboprop, jet, experimental, and vintage aircraft purchases, as well as for avionics upgrades and engine overhauls. The company operates a 100% digital paperless loan process, delivering credit decisions in 24–48 hours and closings in as few as three business days across the 48 contiguous U.S. states.
Product overview
NAFCO is a specialized aviation lender offering a portfolio of aircraft financing products, including Piston Aircraft Loans, Turboprop & Jet Loans, and Experimental Aircraft Loans as core offerings. These are complemented by add-on financing modules for Avionics Upgrades and Engine Overhauls, which can be incorporated into purchase loans or standalone. The company also provides an Aircraft Loan Calculator tool. The product suite is delivered through a fully digital, paperless process with 24-hour response times and closing in as few as three business days.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Piston Aircraft Loans Financing for the purchase of piston-engine aircraft by individual pilots and aircraft owners across the 48 contiguous U.S. states.
- Turboprop & Jet Aircraft Loans Loans for the acquisition of turboprop and jet aircraft, targeting buyers of higher-performance general aviation aircraft.
- Experimental Aircraft Loans Financing for experimental-category aircraft, including kit-built and other non-standard-certificated aircraft.
- Avionics Upgrade Financing Loans to finance avionics upgrades on existing aircraft, allowing owners to spread the cost of new avionics installations.
- Engine Overhaul Financing Loans to finance engine overhauls on aircraft, helping owners manage the cost of major engine maintenance events.
Quantifiable outcome
- Credit decisions within 24-48 hours of application
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use NAFCO
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
NAFCO technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature2 records
NAFCO partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- National Business Aviation Association (NBAA)minorNAFCO maintains membership and logo display for NBAA, indicating industry association and marketing presence within the business aviation community.
- National Aircraft Finance Association (NAFA)minorNAFCO maintains membership and logo display for NAFA, demonstrating industry association and commitment to aircraft finance industry standards.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
NAFCO competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- StandardAero: Major business aviation MRO provider. Adjacent ecosystem participant whose engine overhaul and avionics work intersects with NAFCO's add-on financing products.
- NetJets: Largest fractional jet ownership provider. Adjacent to NAFCO's market rather than directly competitive — owners of fractional shares still require financing, which NAFCO could potentially capture.
Direct peers
- Global Jet Capital: Specializes in financing for mid-to-large business jets, competing with NAFCO's turboprop and jet lending segment for higher-ticket owner-flown and corporate aviation transactions.
- Aviation Capital Group: One of the largest aircraft financiers in the world, focused primarily on commercial jet leasing and lending but with overlap into the business aviation segment where NAFCO operates.
- AOPA Aviation Finance: AOPA's affiliated consumer aviation lending program (operated through Lyon Financial) offers fixed-rate financing for personal and business aircraft purchases. It is the closest direct competitor to NAFCO in the owner-flown general aviation lending segment.
Broad incumbents
- PNC Aviation Finance: Provides aircraft financing through PNC's wealth and commercial banking groups. Targets owner-flown and corporate aircraft transactions in the same general aviation segment as NAFCO.
- BOK Financial Aircraft Finance: Operates a dedicated aircraft finance group within a diversified regional banking platform. Competes with NAFCO in business and commercial aviation lending while offering full banking services.
- Wells Fargo Aircraft Finance: Major U.S. bank offering aircraft loans and lease financing across personal and business aviation segments. Competes with NAFCO across the full general aviation spectrum.
- Bank of America Aircraft Lending: Provides aircraft financing through its private bank and commercial banking divisions, serving both individual pilots and corporate flight departments with offerings comparable to NAFCO's.
- JPMorgan Aviation Finance: Provides aircraft financing as part of its broader private banking and commercial lending franchise. Overlaps with NAFCO on business jet financing but serves a much larger, higher-net-worth client base.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
NAFCO compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
NAFCO financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
NAFCO leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
NAFCO funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
NAFCO 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 NAFCO
What does NAFCO do?
NAFCO is a specialized aviation lender that provides financing for piston, turboprop, jet, experimental, and vintage aircraft purchases, as well as for avionics upgrades and engine overhauls. The company operates a 100% digital paperless loan process, delivering credit decisions in 24–48 hours and closings in as few as three business days across the 48 contiguous U.S. states.
Is NAFCO a public or private company?
NAFCO is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was NAFCO founded?
NAFCO was founded in 1994. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is NAFCO based?
NAFCO is headquartered in Tampa, United States, in the North America region.
How does NAFCO make money?
One revenue line is on record: aircraft Lending/Financing.
Who are NAFCO's main competitors?
Others on record are StandardAero and NetJets. Direct peers are Global Jet Capital, Aviation Capital Group and AOPA Aviation Finance. Broad incumbents are PNC Aviation Finance, BOK Financial Aircraft Finance, Wells Fargo Aircraft Finance, Bank of America Aircraft Lending and JPMorgan Aviation Finance.
Does NAFCO have an API?
No public API is recorded for NAFCO.