A consortium of Sumitomo, SMBC Aviation Capital, Apollo and Brookfield will acquire Air Lease Corporation in an all-cash $7.4bn deal via a newly formed Sumisho Air Lease Corporation. The takeover gives Air Lease SMBC’s financial backing and follows a recent executive exodus seen as a strategic pivot.
Discovered |
Briefing
The deal values Air Lease at $7.4bn in cash, consolidating lessor market scale and giving SMBC-backed owners increased fleet and commercial influence — SMBC’s recent fleet activity underscores that footprint (see SMBC delivery/leasing activity).
Air Lease was profitable heading into the sale (Q2 2025 net income $374.1M on $731.7M revenue), and the transaction follows senior departures including Steven Udvar‑Hazy’s move to Alaska Airlines, a signal of strategic change for the company and the leasing market.
Reported By
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SMBC‑led consortium to acquire Air Lease Corporation in ~$28.2B deal • The Air Current
(DE) Investor consortium acquires Air Lease Corp • airliners.de
SMBC Aviation Capital in Consortium to Acquire Air Lease Corporation • flyinginireland.com
Air Lease to be Acquired by Consortium Led by Sumitomo, SMBC Aviation Capital, Apollo and Brookfield • aviation-defence-universe.com
FlightGlobal
• Dominic Perry
Welcome • airleasecorp.com