Buy, lease or finance your next aircraft?

1. Start with the operation

Before opening the Marketplace, decide the aircraft's route, required capacity, airport suitability, starting location and intended use. Compare options that can perform the same job.

Record the amount due today, recurring payments, delivery or availability date, maintenance responsibility and any exit restrictions for each option.

2. Buy outright

Buying new or used means funding the purchase rather than spreading that purchase through an aircraft loan. Review the quoted delivery terms and, for used aircraft, the individual aircraft's condition and maintenance position.

This can suit an airline with enough cash left after purchase to run its existing operation and the new aircraft. Do not compare a used listing solely by price: an upcoming maintenance check, downtime or repositioning can change the practical cost. Follow the buying guide for the purchase workflow.

3. Review a dry lease

Where offered, a dry lease provides access under a lease agreement rather than an outright purchase. Review the actual payment schedule, duration, delivery terms, maintenance allocation and return conditions before accepting. Do not assume every lease uses the same responsibilities.

Confirm how the agreement affects the aircraft's permitted use and availability. A dry-leased aircraft cannot simply be relisted as a wet lease. Preserve the agreement details so you can check later charges against the accepted terms.

4. Review a wet lease

The wet lease board describes an arrangement where the owner provides the aircraft, crew and maintenance; the customer pays block-hour costs, fuel and airport fees. Listings include minimum block hours, so low utilisation may still leave a significant commitment.

Check availability dates, block-hour rate, minimum hours and the complete request terms. Requesting a lease is not proof that the aircraft is immediately ready to operate. The renting airline does not authorise maintenance as though it owned the aircraft.

5. Review aircraft finance

If finance is available to your account, inspect the current quote: deposit and delivery due today, financed principal, monthly payment, term and repayment conditions. A changed or expired quote needs review before acceptance.

Financed aircraft have continuing loan obligations. The agreement warns that the loan remains due after damage or loss, and selling or leasing the aircraft is blocked until settlement. Review and repay the loan through the available Finance tools. Receiving finance does not remove delivery time or make a pending aircraft usable.

6. Compare a realistic operating period

For each option, add upfront cash, the payments falling due during your chosen period, delivery or repositioning, and the operating costs your airline must pay. Keep maintenance and downtime in the plan. For wet leases, account for the minimum-hours commitment shown in the terms.

Compare ownership and return obligations separately from that period's cash spending. An outright purchase leaves a different position from a lease; a short-period cash comparison alone cannot show the complete value of either.

7. Confirm the result before scheduling

1. Read the final quote and check the company and aircraft.
2. Accept only the intended transaction once.
3. Verify the resulting aircraft or agreement record.
4. Check delivery, location and availability in Fleet.
5. Plan the schedule around the actual readiness and publication dates.

If the result is unclear, inspect the existing record before submitting again. Continue with the fleet expansion tutorial once the aircraft's commitments are understood.