Financing
Aircraft lenders: who finances airplanes and jets in the U.S.
A neutral directory of U.S. aircraft lenders: banks, private banks, credit unions and specialist aviation lenders, what each says it finances, and the questions to ask before you choose one.
Natan BenchimolExecutive Vice PresidentUpdated October 11, 2026 · Published October 11, 2026 · 2 min read
The short answer: U.S. aircraft are financed by banks, private banks, credit unions, specialist aviation lenders, aviation finance firms that work with networks of lenders, and manufacturers' finance arms. Which one fits depends mostly on the aircraft (a $150,000 piston single and a $20 million jet are different markets) and on how you prefer to bank. The directory below lists firms that advertise aircraft financing, with what each says it finances, from its own website.
Types of aircraft lenders
| Type | Typical focus | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Banks with aviation divisions | Turboprops, jets, sometimes larger pistons | Often set minimum loan sizes; may want your other banking |
| Private banks | Larger business jets | Often structure loans around the client's wider balance sheet; rates are quoted individually |
| Credit unions | Piston aircraft and smaller loans | Membership required; published rate sheets are common |
| Specialist aviation lenders | Pistons to jets, including older aircraft | Know aircraft values and records; may lend where a general bank won't |
| Aviation finance firms and brokers | All aircraft types | Arrange the loan with one or more lenders; ask who the lender of record is |
| Manufacturer finance | New aircraft of that manufacturer | Tied to the purchase of their own aircraft |
The directory
| Lender | Type | Says it finances | Stated terms and limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| AirFleet Capital | Specialist aviation lender | Single and twin piston aircraft, turboprops, jets and helicopters | None stated |
| American Airlines Federal Credit Union | Credit union | Small aircraft of 549 horsepower or less (no kit or experimental aircraft) | Terms up to 120 months; membership required |
| AOPA Aviation Finance | Aviation finance firm working with a network of lenders | Piston, turbine and turboprop, business aircraft, helicopters and experimental aircraft | 5- to 20-year terms; fixed and floating rates |
| Banterra Aircraft Finance (Banterra Bank) | Bank | Piston, light sport, experimental, vintage, turboprop and light business jets | Loans from $75,000 to $2 million for U.S.-based aircraft (excluding Alaska and Hawaii) |
| Equity Bank | Bank | Jets, turboprops and large piston aircraft | States membership of NBAA and NAFA |
| Flying Finance | Aviation finance firm (describes itself as lender and broker) | Piston, turboprop, jet, helicopter, kit and experimental, and light sport aircraft | 15% minimum down; amortization up to 20 years |
| J.P. Morgan Private Bank | Bank (private bank) | All categories of private aircraft | Fixed- and floating-rate loans |
| LightStream (Truist) | Bank (online lending) | Unsecured loans that can be used to buy or refinance an aircraft | $5,000 to $100,000; terms of 24 to 240 months depending on loan type |
| M&T Capital and Leasing (M&T Bank) | Bank | Large-cabin, midsize and light jets, single and multi-engine turboprops, turbine helicopters | Term loans, aircraft improvement loans and operating leases |
| US Aircraft Finance | Specialist aviation lender and broker | Piston, turboprop, jet, helicopter, experimental, light sport and kit aircraft | Part 91 and Part 135 use; up to 90% loan-to-value on select aircraft |
| Wings Credit Union | Credit union | Aircraft loans (published rates for model year 2021 and newer) | 84-, 120- and 180-month terms; membership required |
Alphabetical. Facts from each firm's own aircraft financing page, checked October 11, 2026. A listing is not an endorsement or a recommendation, and CRAFT receives nothing from any firm listed. Lenders: to correct a listing, contact us.
The list is a starting point, not a complete market. Many regional banks lend on aircraft for existing customers without advertising it, and private banks generally quote jet financing only to clients.
How to compare aircraft lenders
Ask every lender the same questions, on the same aircraft and the same structure, so the answers compare:
- Rate and how it is set. Fixed for how long? Floating over which benchmark, plus what margin? See today's benchmarks on our aircraft loan rates page.
- Down payment and loan-to-value. How much equity, and on what valuation?
- Amortization, term and balloon. A 20-year amortization with a 5-year term is a different loan from a fully amortizing 15-year loan. Model both in the aircraft loan calculator.
- Aircraft eligibility. Age limits, types, engine program requirements, and whether the aircraft can be based or flown outside the U.S.
- Use. Whether Part 135 charter use (for example, in a leaseback) is allowed, and what the lender needs to approve it.
- Fees and prepayment. Origination, documentation, title and escrow costs, and any prepayment penalty.
- Timeline. How long from application to funding. AOPA Aviation Finance describes turbine loans taking about 30 days to fund.
- Lender or arranger. Who makes the loan, who services it, and how anyone arranging it is paid.
What lenders will check on the aircraft, from title searches to AD compliance, is covered in our guide to aircraft financing. Have the logbooks and records ready before you apply: it shortens every one of these conversations.
Get matched with an aircraft lender
Tell us what you're buying.
We'll pass your request to aircraft lenders who finance that kind of aircraft, so they can quote you a real rate. No credit details needed here, and nothing is a loan offer: CRAFT is not a lender.
Sources
Each firm's own aircraft financing page, linked in the directory, checked October 11, 2026. AOPA Aviation Finance, turbine and turboprop financing.
Frequently asked questions
Who finances aircraft?
Banks (including private banks for larger jets), credit unions (mostly smaller aircraft, often for members), specialist aviation lenders, aviation finance firms that work with a network of lenders, and manufacturers' finance arms for their own new aircraft. Some lenders focus on piston aircraft and small loans; others lend only on turbine aircraft and jets.
Is it better to use a bank or an aviation lender?
It depends on the aircraft and on you. A bank you already work with may offer relationship pricing and flexible structures, especially private banks on larger jets. Specialist aviation lenders and finance firms know aircraft values and paperwork well and may lend on aircraft a general bank won't. Compare at least two or three quotes on the same structure.
What is the difference between an aircraft lender and an aircraft finance broker?
A lender makes the loan with its own money. A broker or finance firm arranges the loan with one or more lenders and may be paid by the lender, the borrower or both. Some firms do both. Ask who the lender of record is and how the arranger is paid.
Does CRAFT recommend a lender?
No. This directory is a list of facts each firm publishes about itself, in alphabetical order, not a ranking or an endorsement, and CRAFT receives nothing from any firm listed. If you would like to hear from lenders, our get-matched form passes your request on.
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