A DIVISION EXPANSION TIMED TO A MARKET CONDITION

APOC Aviation, a trading and leasing specialist for aircraft parts, engines and landing gear, has appointed Darren Naughton as Vice President Engines. The company describes the move as a proactive expansion of its engines division as it establishes its position as a full-service provider to airlines, lessors, MROs and OEMs. Naughton joins with 13 years of experience in aircraft and engine leasing across commercial, pricing and trading roles at both aircraft and engine lessors, and will lead the team globally across leasing, exchange, teardowns and component piece-part sales.

Naughton said what drew him to APOC was the company’s positioning to become a full-service partner across airframe, engines, landing gear and components, describing it as a rare opportunity to help shape a division with that scope. He said his main priority was ensuring the engines department was recognised as a leader in the space, providing airlines with essential green time support across a range of models while upholding standards of technical asset management.

WHY GREEN TIME LEASING IS IN DEMAND

Green time refers to the remaining useful life on an engine before its next scheduled shop visit — the period during which it can be operated without incurring a major overhaul. Leasing an engine for its green time allows an operator to cover a requirement without funding a shop visit, and allows the lessor to extract value from an asset before it is torn down for parts. The proposition becomes more attractive precisely when shop visits become more expensive and harder to schedule, which is the current condition.

Naughton set out the drivers directly: demand for green time leasing has increased significantly in recent years due to high MRO costs and labour shortages, alongside production and supply chain challenges. He added that the timing of new technology entrants overlapping with the gradual phase-out of legacy models should sustain the trend for the foreseeable future, with APOC positioned to support customers across both new and existing asset types. That overlap is the structural point: operators running legacy engines they intend to retire have little incentive to fund a full overhaul, while operators awaiting new-technology deliveries need interim capacity — and green time serves both.

APOC’s engines strategy will remain deliberately broad, considering all engine types and regions with a focus on disciplined asset management and customer relationships. Naughton said demand for engine leasing, trading and MRO would remain competitive in coming years, and that synergies and partnerships would be key for APOC to achieve its full potential.

COMPANY PROFILE

APOC Aviation is headquartered in the Netherlands with offices and representation across Europe — including a dedicated landing gear hub in Vilnius, Lithuania — and in Singapore. The company concentrates primarily on Airbus and Boeing narrowbodies with additional Embraer and ATR resource streams, and is focused on the acquisition and strategic deployment of complete aircraft for trading, stocking and leasing of engine, landing gear and component assets. It offers 24/7 AOG support and holds ASA-100 accreditation, ISO 9001:2015, AS 9120 Rev.B and FAA AC 00-56B. APOC’s majority shareholder is the Netherlands-based private equity investor Egeria, which has worked with the company since 2020 with a stated focus on continued vertical integration.