Aircraft Maintenance and MRO Facility Financing
Maintenance, repair, and overhaul shops keep aircraft flying, and they are capital-hungry: hangar space, tooling, test equipment, and a workforce of certificated mechanics. Financing one blends real estate, equipment, and a services business into a single deal, and each piece underwrites on different terms.
The Repair Station Certificate Is Part of the Value
A Part 145 repair station certificate, with its ratings and approved capabilities, is a genuine barrier to entry and a real business asset, though not one a lender can foreclose on. Lenders treat the certificate and its ratings as evidence of durable, defensible revenue rather than as collateral, which puts more weight on cash flow and the hard assets behind it.
Equipment, Tooling, and the Hangar
MRO capital needs split across the building, which may be an owned or leasehold hangar, the specialized tooling and test equipment, and working capital for parts inventory. Equipment can be financed on its own terms, while the hangar brings the airport ground lease back into the picture whenever the shop sits on leased field property.
Labor Capacity as an Underwriting Factor
Revenue is gated by certificated mechanic capacity, not just floor space. Lenders probe staffing, backlog, and turn times, because an MRO that cannot hire cannot grow into its facility no matter how large the hangar is. Square footage does not generate revenue; mechanics do. Heavy customer concentration in one airline or fleet operator is a watch item.
SBA and Conventional Paths
Part 145 shops are operating businesses eligible for SBA 7(a) and 504, which suits their mix of real estate, equipment, and working capital. Larger, established shops may prefer conventional financing for speed and flexibility. Either way, environmental review applies wherever paint, solvents, plating, or fuel are handled on site.
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