David Crull has been appointed Chief Financial Officer of Aquila Air Capital, an aircraft engine lessor based in Dublin and Fort Worth, with immediate effect. Crull brings more than 25 years of aviation industry experience across airline operations, aftermarket services and aircraft leasing, joining the Wafra-backed lessor at a time of accelerating expansion in the midlife and mature engine leasing segment. His appointment underscores Aquila's focus on strengthening financial leadership as it pursues growth under new ownership and with increased capital resources.
Crull joins Aquila after a tenure as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Jackson Square Aviation, a full-service commercial aircraft finance company based in San Francisco. Al Wood, Chief Executive Officer of Aquila, praised Crull's ability to engage with executive teams, investors and commercial partners, noting that his expertise in financial and operating practice across aviation will sharpen strategic decision-making and accelerate growth. No executive search firm involvement was disclosed in the appointment announcement.
Crull's career has spanned senior roles across several segments of aviation finance and operations. He previously served as Chief Investment Officer of KP Aviation and held Chief Financial Officer positions at Aero Capital Solutions and AeroTurbine, where he also led commercial operations. Earlier in his career he worked in senior financial leadership roles at Spirit Airlines and held positions in maintenance and engineering at American Airlines and Delta Air Lines. He holds a Master of Business Administration in corporate finance from the University of Dallas and a Bachelor of Science in professional aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
Aquila Air Capital was founded as a specialty finance platform by Warburg Pincus, Wood and Kepler Hill Capital, and operates a fleet of more than 130 aircraft and engines across 25 lease customers worldwide. The lessor specialises in mid-to-late life commercial aircraft and engines, providing in-house origination, leasing management and technical oversight. Wafra, the New York-based alternative asset manager, acquired a controlling interest in Aquila from Warburg Pincus in the closing weeks of 2024 and committed substantial capital to support expansion. The platform operates dual headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas and Dublin, Ireland, with an additional presence in Asia.
The appointment signals Aquila's confidence in pursuing an aggressive growth strategy following the Wafra acquisition. The lessor has already substantially upscaled its financing capacity, securing a 400 million dollar warehouse facility with ATLAS SP Partners in the middle of this year to fuel expansion of the leasing business. With Crull bringing both operator and investor perspectives from decades in aviation finance, Aquila appears positioned to deepen relationships with airlines and financial investors while navigating the shift toward older-generation engines that still represent significant value in global fleets. The move reflects a broader consolidation of financial leadership capability among Irish-based aviation lessors, a sector that has become one of the largest in Europe.
