Aircraft Leasing Giant Air Lease to Be Acquired in $7.4 Billion Deal

Key Points

• A group of investors led by Sumitomo Corp and SMBC Aviation Capital is acquiring Air Lease for $7.4 billion.
• The combined company will be based in Dublin and renamed Sumisho Air Lease, with the deal expected to close by the end of 2026.
• Steven Udvar-Hazy, a pioneer in the industry, helped make Air Lease one of the largest and most influential aircraft lessors worldwide.

Summary

A group of investors led by Sumitomo Corp and SMBC Aviation Capital has agreed to acquire Air Lease, one of the world's largest aircraft lessors, for $7.4 billion. The newly combined company will be headquartered in Dublin and renamed Sumisho Air Lease, with the transaction anticipated to close by the end of 2026. Air Lease, founded by Steven Udvar-Hazy, has played a major role in the growth and transformation of the aircraft leasing market, which now sees more than half of commercial aircraft being leased rather than owned by airlines.