Air Lease to be Acquired in $7.4 Billion Deal, Further Consolidating Airplane Leasing Industry
September 2, 2025 – the airplane leasing world is shrinking as Air Lease Corp. (ALC) has agreed to be acquired in a deal valued at $7.4 billion,the companies announced Tuesday. The move continues a trend of consolidation within the industry.Recent deals include General Electric’s sale of its aircraft leasing arm to Aercap in 2021, as the conglomerate focused on core businesses like airplane engine manufacturing. Two years prior, Standard Chartered sold its aircraft leasing business to avilease, owned by Saudi arabia’s sovereign wealth fund.
Often called the ”godfather” of aviation leasing, Air Lease founder Steven udvar-Házy, who established the company in 2010 alongside CEO John Plueger, is retiring after shaping the modern aircraft leasing business.
“Since founding Air Lease in 2010, we have been unwavering in our mission to shape the future of the aviation industry and provide airlines around the world with access to the most modern, fuel-efficient aircraft,” Udvar-Házy said.
Udvar-Házy fled soviet Hungary with his parents in the late 1950s and previously co-founded ILFC in 1973, later selling it to AIG. He ran ILFC untill 2010 and announced his retirement from Air Lease this past March.