Fenua Financement debuts aircraft crowdfunding finance platform

By Andrew Curran.

French Polynesian retail investment platform Fenua Financement has launched a crowdfunding platform called Rattel Aero that focuses exclusively on aircraft financing.

Fenua Financement, a partnership between wealth management firm Le Fare de l'épargne, real estate agency Immo The Club, and online investment platform Les Entreprêteurs, made a name for itself last year after raising almost XPF380 million (USD3.7 million) to help Motu Link Airline secure its first ATR freighter.

“With Rattel Aero, Fenua Financement aims to structure a specialised aircraft financing platform addressing the specific needs of regional aviation, particularly in island and remote territories where air transport plays a strategic role,” a statement from Fenua Financement said.

“In archipelagic environments, aviation is a critical component of transport infrastructure. It supports territorial continuity, inter-island connectivity, economic activity, tourism, trade, and essential mobility between islands and archipelagos,” the statement added. “Aircraft financing is therefore a key issue for airlines, regional operators, investors, and local stakeholders.”

Motu Link deal behind the new funding platform

Fenua Financement says Rattel Aero will focus on aircraft-related projects with strong economic, operational, and territorial relevance, particularly in the Pacific region.

Fenua Financement’s Motu Link Airline crowdfunding project was closely watched by many small operators and start-ups in the aviation industry. More than 170 small-scale investors, alongside two families who control much of the commercial shipping sector in French Polynesia, contributed funding.

The USD3.7 million raised represented around 75% of the amount needed to purchase the ATR72-500, which ferried to Papeete earlier this year.

With the funding target reached, Fenua Financement issued a 90-month bond that included a six-month grace period for principal repayments and an annual interest rate of 11%.

The shares in the company that owns the ATR were (and remain) held in escrow as security, while a relatively sophisticated package of guarantees was put in place to protect investors’ funds.

“This transaction has demonstrated the viability of the model: a high-quality aircraft asset, a solid guarantee structure, and a community of informed and committed investors,” says Fenua Financement.

Motu Link Airline was recently awarded its air operator’s certificate and is expected to begin revenue operations shortly.

Fenua Financement says the launch of Rattel Aero forms part of its broader development strategy. The company is currently expanding into New Caledonia and intends to establish a presence in Wallis and Futuna.

Fenua Financement says it wants Rattel Aero to become a leading aircraft financing platform in the Pacific and beyond.

Photo: AI-Generated.

Contact the writer: andrew@aerosouthpacific.com