Sumitomo, SMBC, Apollo and Brookfield Close Air Lease Buyout, Rebrand as Sumisho Air Lease

Overview

• An investor group led by Sumitomo Corporation and SMBC Aviation Capital completed the purchase of Air Lease and renamed the company Sumisho Air Lease, with Air Lease delisted from the New York Stock Exchange.
• Shareholders received $65 per share in cash for about $7.4 billion, bringing the total transaction value to roughly $28.2 billion when including debt to be assumed or refinanced.
• Air Lease’s aircraft orderbook moved to SMBC Aviation Capital, lifting SMBC’s Airbus and Boeing backlog to about 420 jets, and SMBC will service most of the new company’s portfolio.
• The combined platform reports over $29 billion in assets and 490 owned aircraft, giving airlines access to a larger pool of modern, fuel‑efficient jets and a stronger balance sheet behind them.
• Leasing plays a core role in how airlines refresh fleets because it spreads costs over time, and the backers say this larger platform will help carriers secure scarce next‑generation aircraft more quickly.