Industry veteran to lead engine leasing, trading and asset management strategy
APOC Aviation has appointed Darren Naughton as Vice President Engines, reinforcing its leadership team as the company expands its global engine leasing and trading business. The appointment supports APOC’s strategy to strengthen its position as a preferred partner for airlines, lessors, MRO providers and OEMs across the aviation aftermarket.
Based in the Netherlands, APOC Aviation specialises in the trading and leasing of aircraft parts, engines and landing gear. Naughton will lead the company’s engines division, overseeing global activities across engine leasing, exchange programmes, teardowns and component piece-part sales.
“What drew me to APOC is the Company’s strong brand and its positioning to become a full-service partner and provider to the industry across airframe, engines, landing gear and components,” Naughton said. “It’s a rare opportunity to help shape a division with that kind of scope, and I’m looking forward to helping build on that momentum.”
Naughton brings 13 years of experience in aircraft and engine leasing, having held commercial, pricing and trading roles with both aircraft and engine lessors. His expertise in engine asset valuation, pricing, trading and customer engagement is expected to support the continued growth of APOC’s engine business.
In his new role, Naughton will focus on expanding the company’s engine portfolio while strengthening relationships with airlines, OEMs and MRO organisations worldwide.
“My main priority is ensuring APOC’s engines department is recognised as a leader in this space,” he said. He highlighted, “This means providing airlines with essential green time support across a range of models and upholding the highest standards of technical asset management in everything we do.”
Naughton also highlighted the growing demand for green-time engine leasing, driven by rising MRO costs, labour shortages and ongoing supply chain constraints affecting the aviation industry.
“Demand for green time leasing has increased significantly in recent years due to high MRO costs and labour shortages, as well as production and supply chain challenges,” he explained. “The timing of new technology entrants overlapping with the gradual phase out of legacy models should see this trend continue for the foreseeable future, and APOC is well positioned to support customers across both new and existing asset types.”
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Looking ahead, APOC plans to maintain a broad engine portfolio strategy, targeting opportunities across different engine platforms and global markets while focusing on disciplined asset management and long-term customer partnerships.
“We will consider all engine types and regions with respect to growth, focusing on disciplined asset management and valued customer relationships,” Naughton added. “Demand for engine leasing, trading and MRO will remain competitive in the coming years. Our synergies and partnerships will be key for APOC to achieve its full potential.”
