M&A   Aircraft Finance & Leasing   Orders  
FlightGlobal • Dominic Perry

SMBC-led consortium completes $7.4bn acquisition of Air Lease; enterprise value ~$28.2bn

A consortium led by SMBC Aviation Capital with Sumitomo, Apollo-managed funds and Brookfield has completed its $7.4 billion buyout of Air Lease Corporation, valuing the company at roughly $28.2 billion including debt assumed or refinanced net of cash. The deal materially increases consolidated leasing scale and balance-sheet capacity.

Also: Le Journal de l’Aviation and aviator.aero
2026-04-08T09:22:09.066032-07:00
PaxEx   North America   Airline Industry & Market Trends   Airlines  
Breitflyte • Joe Breitfeller

WestJet Adds Copa Airlines as New Interline Partner, Launches New Interline Booking Capabilities

By Breitflyte: WestJet has today announced the addition of Copa Airlines as a new interline partner. The carrier has also launched new interline booking capabilities, allowing customers to book seamless multi-airline itineraries across 50 partner airlines.

2026-04-08T09:37:28.644309-07:00
Supply Chain   Aircraft Manufacturing (OEMs)   Sustainability & Climate Initiatives  
FlightGlobal • Dominic Perry

Leonardo-led HERFUSE to test composite fuselage and empennage for lighter regional turboprop

By FlightGlobal: A project led by Leonardo’s aerostructures unit will later this year begin tests on a series of new composite fuselage and empennage components that could contribute significant weight-saving to a future regional turboprop.

2026-04-08T08:51:13.698174-07:00
PaxEx   Airline Industry & Market Trends   Airlines  
Aviation Business News • Greg Whitaker

BBC Studios and Panasonic Avionics launch aviation-focused streaming service for in‑flight entertainment

By Aviation Business News: BBC Studios launches streaming service developed for aviation - BBC Studios has introduced a streaming platform specifically designed for the aviation industry.

2026-04-08T03:01:05.882142-07:00