Air Lease Acquisition, Valuation & Financials

Air Lease was acquired by Sumitomo for $7.4B in September 2025, a 2.7x multiple on $2.7B of revenue.

Air Lease acquisition price

$7.4B

Acquired by Sumitomo · Sep 2025

Air Lease revenue at acquisition

$2.7B

Last twelve months · Sep 2025

Air Lease revenue multiple at acquisition

2.7x

EV/Revenue · Sep 2025

Air Lease market cap before the deal

$7.2B

DUS: AVLA · Jan 2026

Air Lease Overview

About Air Lease

Air Lease Corp is an aircraft leasing company based in the United States. It is engaged in the modern, fuel-efficient new technology commercial jet aircraft directly from aircraft manufacturers and leasing those aircraft to airlines throughout the world to generate attractive returns on equity. The company also sells aircraft from its fleet to third parties, including other leasing companies, financial services companies, airlines, and other investors, and offers fleet management services to investors and owners of aircraft portfolios for a management fee. Geographically, it derives a maximum of its revenue from the Europe and the rest from Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, Central America, South America, Mexico, the United States, and Canada.


Founded

2010

HQ

United StatesLos Angeles, CA

Status

Acquired

Customer focus

B2B

Revenue model

Usage-based

Revenue

$2.7B (Sep 2025)

Valuation

$7.4B (acquired Sep 2025)

Air Lease Acquisition

Air Lease was acquired by Sumitomo for $7.4B on 2 September 2025.

The acquisition price implies a 2.7x revenue multiple on $2.7B of revenue.

Air Lease Corporation, a leading aircraft lessor with a portfolio primarily comprised of new technology aircraft, is being acquired by a consortium consisting of Sumitomo Corporation, SMBC Aviation Capital Limited, and investment vehicles affiliated with Apollo managed funds and Brookfield in a 100% cash transaction valued at $65.00 per Class A share. The acquisition was announced on September 1, 2025, with Air Lease shareholders approving the merger agreement on December 19, 2025, with approximately 80.7% of Class A shares voting in favor. Upon closing, Air Lease will be renamed Sumisho Air Lease Corporation and operate as a Dublin-based holding company, with SMBC Aviation Capital acting as servicer to Sumisho Air Lease's portfolio and Air Lease's aircraft orderbook transferring to SMBC Aviation Capital. The deal aligns with Sumitomo Corporation's Mid-Term Management Plan 2026 and strengthens the strategic position of Sumitomo-invested aircraft leasing companies, which collectively rank among the world's largest by fleet size. Committed financing of $12.1 billion has been provided by SMBC, Citi, and Goldman Sachs Bank USA, and Sumisho Air Lease is expected to receive investment grade ratings from S&P, Fitch, and Kroll. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2026, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals, marking Air Lease's transition from a publicly listed New York Stock Exchange company to private ownership.

Air Lease acquisition details
AcquirerDateTypePriceEV/Revenue
2 Sep 2025Strategic M&A$7.4B2.7x

Air Lease as a Public Company

Air Lease traded as DUS: AVLA before it was taken private. Its acquisition was announced in September 2025. January 2026 is its last month on record as a listed company, with a market cap of $7.2B and an enterprise value of $27B.

Last-twelve-month revenue was $3B, and the shares traded at 9.0x EV/Revenue.

Over the 4 years before that, its market cap grew from $4.5B in January 2022 to $7.2B, while revenue grew from $2.1B to $3B.

Air Lease market cap while listed

Air Lease EV/Revenue (LTM) while listed

Air Lease financials and trading multiples by year while listed
As ofMarket capRevenue (LTM)EBITDA (LTM)EBITDA marginEV/RevenueEV/EBITDA
Jan 2026$7.2B$3B--9.0x-
Jan 2025$5.1B$2.8B$2.6B94%9.0x9.6x
Jan 2024$4.6B$2.7B$2.4B90%8.6x9.5x
Jan 2023$5B$2.3B$1.4B62%9.7x15.7x
Jan 2022$4.5B$2.1B$1.9B92%9.9x10.7x

Market cap, enterprise value and last-twelve-month figures are month-end values, up to the last month Air Lease traded.

Air Lease Competitors

Air Lease competitors include listed companies like Element Fleet Management, Localiza, Tokyo Century and GATX, and private ones like Mayer's Cars and Trucks and Outdoorsy.

Public and private companies comparable to Air Lease
CompanyHQStatusRevenueEBITDAValuationRevenue Multiple
Element Fleet ManagementCanadaCanadaPublicly listed$2.3B$1.2B$7.1B13.0x
LocalizaBrazilBrazilPublicly listed$8.1B$2.7B$7.8B1.6x
Mayer's Cars and TrucksIsraelTel AvivPrivate$1.9B-$7.9B4.2x
Tokyo CenturyJapanJapanPublicly listed$9.4B$2.9B$8.5B4.2x
GATXUnited StatesUnited StatesPublicly listed$1.7B$1.1B$6.4B8.7x
OutdoorsyUnited StatesAustin, TXPrivate$34M-$1.8B54.1x

Air Lease Public Comps

Air Lease is no longer listed, but its public comps include Element Fleet Management, Localiza, GATX, BOC Aviation, Tokyo Century, Rush Enterprises, Ryder, Hotai Motor, Ayvens and Herc Holdings.

Last FYEV/RevenueEV/EBITDA
RevenueEBITDALast FYLTM2027ELast FYLTM2027E
Element Fleet Management$2.3B$1.2B7.1x13.0x13.7x-
Localiza$8.1B$2.7B1.8x1.6x5.6x5.0x
GATX$1.7B$1.1B10.9x8.7x16.8x14.1x
BOC Aviation$2.4B$1.7B10.2x9.0x14.3x9.6x
Tokyo Century$9.4B$2.9B4.2x4.2x13.6x-
Rush Enterprises$7.4B$645M1.0x0.9x11.2x11.0x
Ryder$13B$3.3B1.4x1.3x5.2x6.1x
Hotai Motor$8.1B$1.6B2.4x-12.3x-

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Common questions about Air Lease

When was Air Lease founded?Air Lease was founded in 2010.
Where is Air Lease headquartered?Air Lease is headquartered in Los Angeles, CA, United States.
Is Air Lease publicly listed?No, Air Lease was acquired by Sumitomo in September 2025.
Who acquired Air Lease?Air Lease was acquired by Sumitomo in September 2025.
How much was Air Lease acquired for?Air Lease was acquired for $7.4B in September 2025, a 2.7x revenue multiple.
Which companies are comparable to Air Lease?Companies comparable to Air Lease include Element Fleet Management, Localiza, Mayer's Cars and Trucks, Tokyo Century, GATX and Outdoorsy.
What was Air Lease's market cap before the acquisition?Air Lease had a market cap of $7.2B in January 2026, its last month on record as a listed company, trading at 9.0x EV/Revenue.
What was Air Lease's revenue as a public company?Air Lease's last reported twelve-month revenue was $3B (January 2026).

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