• AeroCentury Corp. specializes exclusively in regional aircraft leasing, offering turboprop aircraft, regional jets, and engines to both domestic and international airlines under flexible triple net lease structures.
• The triple net lease model puts operational control in the hands of the airline, covering maintenance, insurance, and taxes — making it one of the most cost-predictable leasing arrangements in commercial aviation.
• All day-to-day operations are managed by JetFleet Management Corp. (JMC), an integrated aircraft management, marketing, and financing business that handles the complexity so airlines don’t have to.
• Real-world deals like the Adria Airways CRJ900 sale and leaseback show how AeroCentury Corp. structures agreements that free up airline capital while keeping aircraft in service.
• Matching the right aircraft type to your route network is one of the most important steps before signing any regional aircraft lease — and it’s where specialized lessors like AeroCentury Corp. make a measurable difference.

Regional aircraft leasing is one of the most strategic decisions a carrier can make, and getting it right from the start separates growing airlines from struggling ones.

AeroCentury Corp. has spent years building a focused, specialized portfolio of regional aircraft and engines designed specifically for the carriers that connect smaller cities to the broader aviation network. Unlike large generalist lessors that treat regional jets as a side category, AeroCentury Corp. has built its entire business model around this segment — and that specialization matters when you’re trying to match the right aircraft to the right route.

AeroCentury Corp. Gets Regional Aircraft Leasing Right

There’s a clear difference between a lessor that happens to have regional jets in its portfolio and one that was built from the ground up to serve regional aviation. AeroCentury Corp. falls firmly in the second category.

What AeroCentury Corp. Actually Does

AeroCentury Corp. is an aircraft operating lessor and finance company that invests in used regional aircraft equipment and leases it to foreign and domestic regional air carriers. The company owns regional aircraft and engines, which are leased under triple net leases with terms structured to fall within the useful life of each asset. This approach ensures both the lessor and the lessee are working with aircraft that still have meaningful operational value — not aging metal being passed down the chain.

The company is headquartered in Burlingame, California, and operates with a lean team, allowing it to move efficiently when structuring deals. Its fleet covers turboprop aircraft, regional jet aircraft, and aircraft engines — giving carriers real options across different mission profiles and route economics.

The Role of JetFleet Management Corp. in Day-to-Day Operations

Behind AeroCentury Corp.’s operations is JetFleet Management Corp. (JMC), an integrated aircraft management, marketing, and financing business that serves as the operational engine of the company. JMC is a subsidiary of JetFleet Holding Corp. (JHC) and handles the complexity of aircraft management so that airline clients can focus on flying routes rather than managing asset logistics.

This structure is a genuine advantage. Having a dedicated management company overseeing the portfolio means faster decisions, more consistent asset tracking, and a single point of accountability for lessees navigating lease terms or fleet changes.

Who AeroCentury Corp. Leases To

AeroCentury Corp. serves both domestic and international regional air carriers. Its client base spans commercial users worldwide, including Star Alliance members such as Adria Airways, the national carrier of Slovenia. This global reach, combined with a narrow specialization in regional aviation, means the company understands the specific pressures — route economics, passenger load factors, fuel efficiency targets — that define success for a regional carrier.

The Triple Net Lease Advantage

The lease structure AeroCentury Corp. uses isn’t accidental — it’s one of the most operationally practical arrangements available to regional airlines, and understanding it can change how you approach fleet planning entirely.

What a Triple Net Lease Means for Your Business

A triple net lease means the lessee — the airline — is responsible for maintenance, insurance, and taxes on the aircraft, in addition to the base lease payment. While this might sound like more responsibility on paper, it actually gives the airline direct control over how the aircraft is maintained and operated. There are no hidden costs buried in a lessor’s service markup, and the airline can manage its own maintenance relationships and schedules.

Why Regional Airlines Prefer This Lease Structure

For regional carriers operating on tighter margins, predictability is everything. Triple net leases allow finance teams to model costs accurately over the lease term without worrying about variable service charges from the lessor. The airline knows exactly what the lease obligation looks like, which simplifies budget planning and investor reporting.

Lease Terms That Work Around Asset Lifespan

AeroCentury Corp. structures its lease terms to be shorter than the full useful life of the aircraft. This is a deliberate and important detail — it means the asset retains residual value at the end of the lease, giving both parties flexibility. Airlines aren’t locked into equipment past its optimal service window, and AeroCentury Corp. maintains a portfolio of aircraft that can be re-leased or repositioned as market conditions shift.

The Regional Aircraft Fleet AeroCentury Corp. Offers

Fleet diversity within a focused category is what makes AeroCentury Corp.’s offering genuinely useful for carriers with different network needs.

Turboprop Aircraft Options

Turboprop aircraft remain one of the most economical choices for short-haul regional routes, particularly those under 500 miles where jet economics don’t pencil out. AeroCentury Corp. maintains turboprop aircraft in its portfolio precisely because these workhorses serve a segment of the regional network that larger lessors often overlook. For carriers connecting smaller communities to hub airports, a well-maintained turboprop on a flexible triple net lease can be the difference between a profitable route and one that gets cut.

The operational simplicity of turboprop aircraft also reduces training and maintenance complexity for smaller regional operators. Crews are generally less expensive to certify, ground support requirements are lighter, and many regional airports are better equipped to handle turboprop operations than jet traffic. AeroCentury Corp.’s focus on used regional equipment means the aircraft in its portfolio have proven operational track records — not unproven airframes with unknown reliability curves.

Regional Jet Aircraft Including the Bombardier CRJ900

Regional jets sit at the core of AeroCentury Corp.’s portfolio, and the Bombardier CRJ900 is one of the most prominent examples of the aircraft types the company works with. The CRJ900 is a 76 to 90 seat regional jet that has become a staple of regional networks across Europe and North America. It offers jet-speed performance on routes where turboprops can’t compete on travel time, while keeping operating costs significantly below narrowbody mainline aircraft.

What makes the CRJ900 particularly attractive for lessees is its passenger appeal. Airlines like Adria Airways have reported that the aircraft has been very well received by passengers — and passenger satisfaction on regional routes directly influences load factors and repeat bookings. When your aircraft is generating positive feedback in the cabin, that’s a commercial asset, not just an operational one.

AeroCentury Corp.’s ability to execute sale and leaseback agreements on CRJ900 aircraft — as it did with Adria Airways in December 2014 — demonstrates that the company understands not just the asset, but the deal structure that works best for carriers managing capital constraints. A sale and leaseback allows an airline to unlock the equity tied up in owned aircraft and redeploy that capital into routes, marketing, or operational improvements.

CRJ900 At a Glance

Feature	Detail
Aircraft Type	Regional Jet
Seat Capacity	76 to 90 passengers
Primary Use	Short to medium-haul regional routes
Lease Structure	Triple Net Lease
Notable Lessee	Adria Airways (Star Alliance member)
Deal Type	Sale and Leaseback

For carriers evaluating whether to operate owned or leased CRJ900s, the leaseback model through a specialized lessor like AeroCentury Corp. offers a financially disciplined path forward — particularly in markets where capital efficiency is prioritized over asset ownership.

Aircraft Engines Available for Lease

Beyond airframes, AeroCentury Corp. also leases aircraft engines — a capability that is often underestimated in its strategic value. Engine availability directly impacts an airline’s operational reliability. When a regional carrier faces an unscheduled engine removal, having access to a leased spare engine can mean the difference between a flight departure and a cancellation that ripples through an entire day’s schedule. Discover the efficiency of pipeline inspections with Piper PA-28 Cherokee.

For smaller regional operators that can’t justify the capital expense of owning spare engines outright, AeroCentury Corp.’s engine leasing capability provides a practical solution. It keeps aircraft flying, protects on-time performance metrics, and avoids the heavy capital outlay of purchasing spare powerplants. This is the kind of operational depth that a specialized regional lessor provides — and that a generalist simply can’t match at the same level of focus.

Real-World Results: Adria Airways and the CRJ900 Deal

The December 2014 deal between AeroCentury Corp. and Adria Airways is one of the clearest examples of how a well-structured regional aircraft leasing agreement benefits both parties. Adria Airways, the national carrier of Slovenia and a Star Alliance member, needed to expand its jet fleet with aircraft that matched passenger expectations on European routes. AeroCentury Corp. provided the solution through a purchase and leaseback of two Bombardier CRJ900 aircraft.

How the Sale and Leaseback Agreement Worked

AeroCentury Corp. purchased the two CRJ900 aircraft directly from Adria Airways and immediately leased them back to the airline under a triple net lease arrangement. This structure allowed Adria Airways to convert owned aircraft into liquid capital while retaining full operational use of the jets. From AeroCentury Corp.’s perspective, it added two proven, revenue-generating aircraft to its portfolio with an established operator already in place — a clean, low-risk transaction for both sides.

What Adria Airways Said About the CRJ900 Performance

Mark Anzur, Chief Executive Officer at Adria Airways at the time of the transaction, stated directly that the CRJ900s had been “very well received” by the airline’s passengers. That kind of on-record endorsement from an airline CEO carries weight — it confirms that the aircraft wasn’t just financially sound but operationally successful in service.

Neal D. Crispin, President of AeroCentury Corp., noted that the CRJ900s were the company’s first of that type, marking a portfolio expansion into a highly sought-after regional jet category. Crispin highlighted Adria Airways’ Star Alliance membership and its scheduled service to twenty-two destinations throughout Europe as key factors that made the leaseback a strong fit for AeroCentury Corp.’s growth strategy.

The deal illustrates something important about how specialized regional lessors operate: they don’t just fill a financing gap, they become genuine partners in an airline’s fleet strategy. AeroCentury Corp. didn’t just fund the transaction — it understood the route network, the passenger profile, and the commercial logic behind why the CRJ900 was the right aircraft for Adria Airways at that point in its growth.

Global Reach With a Focused Specialization

One of the most compelling aspects of working with AeroCentury Corp. is the combination of global client reach and laser-focused specialization in regional aviation. These two qualities don’t always coexist in the leasing market, but AeroCentury Corp. has built a model where they reinforce each other.

Domestic and International Airline Clients

AeroCentury Corp. leases aircraft to both domestic and international regional air carriers, giving it a broad view of how regional aviation operates across different regulatory environments, passenger expectations, and network structures. This cross-market experience means the company can apply lessons learned in one geography to help clients in another — whether that’s structuring a lease term that accounts for seasonal route fluctuations or identifying aircraft types that perform well in specific operating environments.

The Adria Airways relationship is a concrete example of international reach in action. Serving a Star Alliance carrier operating across twenty-two European destinations requires an understanding of European aviation regulations, slot coordination, and the passenger expectations of a carrier representing a national aviation brand. AeroCentury Corp. navigated that context successfully, and that kind of cross-border competence is directly relevant to any international carrier evaluating leasing partners.

Why Specializing in Regional Aircraft Creates Better Outcomes

Specialization in regional aircraft means AeroCentury Corp. has deeper knowledge of residual values, maintenance cost curves, and market demand for the specific aircraft types it carries than a generalist lessor ever could. When you’re negotiating a lease term on a turboprop or a CRJ-series jet, you want a counterpart that genuinely understands the asset — not one that’s working from a generalized valuation model built for widebody jets.

This depth of knowledge also benefits lessees during lease-end transitions. AeroCentury Corp. understands where each aircraft type sits in its lifecycle, which means lease terms are structured with realistic return conditions, and end-of-lease negotiations are grounded in actual market data rather than optimistic projections.

What to Consider Before Signing a Regional Aircraft Lease

Before committing to any regional aircraft lease, there are several operational and financial factors that deserve careful evaluation. The right lease with the wrong aircraft — or the right aircraft on the wrong terms — can create pressure on margins that compounds over time. Getting this decision right from the start is far less expensive than renegotiating mid-lease or absorbing a poorly matched asset into your network. For quick regional freight transport, consider the versatility of Cessna 208 Caravan.

Matching Aircraft Type to Your Route Network

The single most important variable in a regional aircraft lease is whether the aircraft actually fits the routes you’re flying. A CRJ900 configured for 76 to 90 passengers makes commercial sense on a route generating consistent demand between a secondary city and a major hub. On a thinner route with 30 to 40 passengers per departure, that same aircraft will bleed money on every cycle. Turboprop aircraft like those in AeroCentury Corp.’s portfolio exist precisely to solve that mismatch — they deliver lower seat-mile costs on short, lower-density routes where jet economics simply don’t work.

Before approaching any lessor, map your route network against realistic load factor projections for the next 12 to 36 months. That analysis will tell you whether you need jet speed and jet capacity, or whether a turboprop gives you better unit economics and the operational flexibility to serve thinner markets profitably. AeroCentury Corp.’s portfolio spans both categories, which means the conversation with their team can be structured around your actual network needs rather than what inventory happens to be available.

Evaluating Lease Length Against Fleet Planning Goals

Lease term length is one of the most consequential decisions in fleet planning, and it’s one that regional carriers frequently get wrong by optimizing for short-term cost rather than long-term strategic fit. AeroCentury Corp. structures lease terms that fall within the useful life of the aircraft — which creates a natural planning window you can build your fleet strategy around.

• Short-term leases (1 to 3 years) offer maximum flexibility for carriers entering new markets or managing seasonal route demand, but they carry higher per-period costs and redelivery risk.
• Medium-term leases (3 to 7 years) balance cost predictability with operational flexibility and are the most common structure for established regional carriers with stable route networks.
• Long-term leases (7 years and beyond) deliver the lowest periodic lease rates but require high confidence in both route demand and aircraft type suitability over the full term.

The key question to ask before signing is whether your network will look fundamentally different in three, five, or seven years. If you’re in a growth phase, a medium-term lease on a proven type like the CRJ900 gives you the stability to build passenger loyalty on a route while preserving enough timeline flexibility to reassess your fleet mix as the network matures.

Working with a specialized lessor like AeroCentury Corp. means those lease term conversations happen with a counterpart who understands regional aviation economics — not a generalist account manager working from a standard lease template built for narrowbody mainline aircraft.

How Sale and Leaseback Agreements Can Free Up Capital

If your airline currently owns regional aircraft outright, a sale and leaseback agreement is one of the most effective tools available for converting fixed assets into working capital without losing operational use of the aircraft. AeroCentury Corp. demonstrated exactly this with the Adria Airways CRJ900 transaction — purchasing two aircraft from the airline and immediately leasing them back under a triple net structure. Adria Airways walked away from that transaction with liquidity it could deploy into routes, marketing, or operational improvements, while retaining full use of the jets it needed to fly its European network.

AeroCentury Corp. Is a Proven Partner for Regional Aviation Growth

Regional aviation is a specific, demanding segment of the commercial airline industry — and it requires a leasing partner who genuinely understands it. AeroCentury Corp. has built its entire business model around this segment, maintaining a focused portfolio of turboprop aircraft, regional jets, and engines leased under triple net structures to carriers around the world. The company’s track record with clients like Adria Airways, its operational depth through JetFleet Management Corp., and its disciplined approach to lease structuring make it one of the most purpose-built regional aircraft lessors available to carriers looking to grow, optimize, or restructure their fleets. Whether you’re evaluating your first leased regional jet or restructuring an existing fleet arrangement, the specificity of AeroCentury Corp.’s focus is its greatest asset to you as an operator.

Frequently Asked Questions

Regional aircraft leasing raises specific questions that deserve direct, practical answers — especially for carriers evaluating their first operating lease or exploring sale and leaseback options for the first time.

What types of aircraft does AeroCentury Corp. lease?

AeroCentury Corp. leases three categories of aviation assets: turboprop aircraft, regional jet aircraft, and aircraft engines. All assets are leased under triple net operating lease structures with terms designed to fall within each asset’s useful life.

Within regional jets, the Bombardier CRJ900 is one of the most prominent types in the portfolio. The CRJ900 seats between 76 and 90 passengers and has proven highly effective for short to medium-haul regional routes across Europe and North America. The December 2014 sale and leaseback with Adria Airways involved two CRJ900 aircraft and marked AeroCentury Corp.’s entry into this aircraft type.

On the turboprop side, AeroCentury Corp. maintains aircraft suited to lower-density regional routes where jet economics don’t justify the operating cost. These aircraft typically serve routes under 500 miles and connect smaller communities to larger hub airports. The engine leasing capability rounds out the portfolio for carriers needing spare powerplant coverage without the capital commitment of outright ownership.

AeroCentury Corp. Fleet Summary

Asset Category	Best Suited For	Lease Structure
Turboprop Aircraft	Short-haul, low-density regional routes	Triple Net Operating Lease
Regional Jet Aircraft (e.g., CRJ900)	Short to medium-haul, higher-demand regional routes	Triple Net Operating Lease
Aircraft Engines	Spare engine coverage for operational reliability	Triple Net Operating Lease

What is a triple net lease in aircraft leasing?

A triple net lease is a leasing arrangement in which the lessee — the airline — takes on responsibility for maintenance, insurance, and taxes associated with the aircraft, in addition to the base lease payment. This structure gives the airline direct operational control over how the aircraft is maintained and insured, eliminates lessor service markups, and creates cost predictability that simplifies financial planning. For regional carriers operating on tight margins, the ability to model exact lease obligations without variable third-party service charges is a meaningful operational and financial advantage.

Does AeroCentury Corp. lease to international airlines?

Yes. AeroCentury Corp. leases aircraft to both domestic and international regional air carriers. Its international client base includes carriers operating across Europe, with Adria Airways — the national carrier of Slovenia and a Star Alliance member — serving as one of its most prominent international lessees.

The company’s experience with international operators means it understands the regulatory, operational, and commercial nuances of leasing aircraft across different jurisdictions. For international carriers evaluating a specialized regional lessor, AeroCentury Corp.’s cross-border track record is a meaningful point of differentiation from domestic-only leasing operations.

What is a sale and leaseback agreement in aviation?

A sale and leaseback is a transaction in which an airline sells owned aircraft to a lessor and immediately leases those same aircraft back under an operating lease. The airline retains full operational use of the aircraft while converting the asset’s equity value into liquid capital. AeroCentury Corp. executed this structure with Adria Airways in December 2014, purchasing two Bombardier CRJ900 aircraft from the airline and leasing them back under a triple net arrangement — providing Adria Airways with capital while AeroCentury Corp. added proven, revenue-generating aircraft to its portfolio.

Who manages AeroCentury Corp.’s aircraft leasing operations?

AeroCentury Corp.’s day-to-day operations are managed by JetFleet Management Corp. (JMC), an integrated aircraft management, marketing, and financing business. JMC is a subsidiary of JetFleet Holding Corp. (JHC) and functions as the operational backbone of AeroCentury Corp.’s leasing activities.

JMC’s integrated structure means aircraft management, client marketing, and financing decisions are coordinated through a single platform rather than spread across multiple vendors or departments. For lessees, this translates to faster decision-making, consistent asset management, and a clear point of accountability throughout the lease term. Learn more about aircraft leasing business trends and insights.

For any regional carrier looking to explore leasing options, optimize an existing fleet, or execute a sale and leaseback transaction, AeroCentury Corp. brings the specialized focus, proven deal structures, and operational expertise that regional aviation demands.