Novus Aviation Capital, a DIFC-based independent aircraft leasing and financing firm, has rolled out its Tamweel Aviation Finance III Fund, with the Maples Group handling the legal, fiduciary and administrative legwork.
The fund zeroes in on secured second-lien financing for airlines and lessors that need more than plain senior debt.
Maples Group worked the deal end to end, with its lawyers setting up the structure, Maples Fund Services running administration, and the Dublin fiduciary team taking on the transactional side.
in a press release on 28 April, Fred Tabbal, regional head of Fund Services – Middle East, said: “Novus provides global innovative and tailored aircraft-backed financial solutions with an unmatched track record spanning more than 30 years.
“We are privileged to continue to support Novus’s growth with a bespoke set of services spanning legal, fiduciary and fund administration support.”
Joint managing partner Philip Ireland said the company is grateful to Novus for the opportunity and for the continued partnership.
“The Maples Group’s work on this transaction speaks both to the firm’s full array of fund formation services as well as its multi-jurisdictional capabilities which involved lawyers and professionals in Dubai, Dublin, and the Cayman Islands,” he said.
Novus operates out of five offices anchored by its DIFC base.
The first Tamweel fund opened in July 2013 and put all its money to work by 2018, TAF II followed in March 2018, and the latest vehicle is the third turn of the wheel.
The fund runs as a partnership pulling in Novus, Airbus and the Development Bank of Japan as limited partners.
Across all three iterations, the series has stuck to financing new Airbus technology aircraft.
Mounir Kuzbari, co-CEO of Novus Aviation Capital, said: “The launch of Tamweel Aviation Finance III represents a continuation of one of our core managed lending franchises, providing customised, secured second-lien solutions to Airbus customers.
“We are once again delighted to partner with Airbus and the Development Bank of Japan, whose continued commitment to the TAF platform is a strong endorsement of our approach to aviation credit.”
He added: “We also thank the Maples Group for their ongoing support. We highly value their integrated capabilities across legal, fiduciary and fund administration services, as well as the strong partnership we have built with their team over the years.”
Maintenance, parts, leasing and sales all sit on the table for investors.
Aviation finance crossed the US$1 trillion revenue mark in 2025, Maples said, with aircraft deliveries set to keep climbing and fund managers expected to stay active in the segment.
