Goshawk Acquisition & Valuation

Goshawk was acquired by SMBC Aviation Capital for $6.7B in May 2022.

Goshawk acquisition price

$6.7B

Acquired by SMBC Aviation Capital · May 2022

Key investors in Goshawk

  • NWS Holdings
  • Chow Tai Fook Enterprises

Goshawk Overview

About Goshawk

Goshawk is a commercial aircraft leasing company based in Dublin, Ireland. It was established in 2013 and acquired, owned and leased modern passenger aircraft to airlines worldwide under operating leases. It was a joint venture held equally by Chow Tai Fook Enterprises and NWS Holdings, both of Hong Kong, after an earlier ownership that included Investec. The company grew through aircraft purchases and sale-and-leaseback transactions and by acquiring SKY Leasing's Irish subsidiary in 2018. It earned revenue from aircraft lease rentals and from aircraft sales. In 2022 its leasing platform, comprising substantially all of its assets, liabilities and contracts, was sold to SMBC Aviation Capital, excluding aircraft leased to Russian airlines.


Founded

2013

HQ

IrelandDublin

Status

Acquired

Customer focus

B2B

Revenue model

Subscription

Valuation

$6.7B (acquired May 2022)

Goshawk Acquisition

Goshawk was acquired by SMBC Aviation Capital for $6.7B on 16 May 2022.

SMBC Aviation Capital, a leading Japanese-owned aircraft lessor, agreed on May 16, 2022, to acquire Goshawk Aviation, a Dublin-based global aircraft lessor owned 50% each by NWS Holdings Limited and Chow Tai Fook Enterprises Limited. The deal involved purchasing Goshawk Management (Ireland), its Irish operating entity, along with associated corporate assets, for an enterprise value of $6.7 billion. The transaction excluded Goshawk aircraft leased to Russian airlines and was financed through debt from shareholders, banks, and capital markets, plus equity from SMBC Aviation Capital’s owners Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group and Sumitomo Corporation. The acquisition created a combined entity with approximately $37 billion in total assets, including a portfolio of 709 owned and managed aircraft—incorporating Goshawk’s 176 aircraft—and $13 billion in orders for 261 new-technology narrowbody aircraft from Boeing and Airbus. This positioned the business as the second-largest aircraft lessor globally by aircraft count and the largest Japanese-owned lessor, with over 82% of the fleet focused on young narrowbody aircraft. The deal closed in December 2022, with sellers receiving approximately $1.6 billion in consideration after adjustments. Goshawk specialized in commercial aircraft leasing from its Dublin base, contributing strategic scale to SMBC Aviation Capital amid industry consolidation. The transaction supported optimization strategies for NWS Holdings by unlocking shareholder value while enhancing SMBC’s market position in high-demand narrowbody segments.

Goshawk acquisition details
AcquirerDateTypePrice
  • SMBC Aviation Capital
16 May 2022Strategic M&A$6.7B

Sources: smbc.aero, ctfs.com.hk, ctfs.com.hk

Goshawk Funding History

Goshawk has 2 recorded secondary share sales and no primary funding rounds.

Goshawk funding rounds
DateStageInvestorsDeal Summary
Oct 2016SecondaryNWS Holdings; Chow Tai Fook EnterprisesNWS Holdings and Chow Tai Fook Enterprises each agreed to acquire an additional 10% equity interest in Goshawk Aviation, together with shareholder loans, from Investec Bank plc and GAL Partnership L.P. in October 2016. The consideration was approximately US$88.4 million. In a related arrangement the two buyers also agreed with Investec to each acquire a further 10% of Goshawk Management Holdings (Cayman), the company that provides investment and asset management and advisory services to Goshawk, for US$13.0 million. On completion, Goshawk and its management company were to become 50/50 joint ventures between NWS Holdings and Chow Tai Fook Enterprises. NWS Holdings had acquired its first 40% of Goshawk in February 2015, when it held a portfolio of 27 aircraft, and by October 2016 the fleet had grown to 86 owned and committed aircraft with more than US$4 billion of assets under management. NWS Holdings said it expected to benefit from its increased investment in commercial aircraft leasing as part of its aviation strategy.
Jan 2015SecondaryNWS HoldingsNWS Holdings agreed to acquire a 40% interest in Goshawk Aviation, together with outstanding notes, from Chow Tai Fook Enterprises in January 2015. The purchase was made through NWS Holdings' indirect wholly owned subsidiary Natal Global, for total cash consideration of about US$222.5 million covering both the shares and the notes. After completion, NWS Holdings and Chow Tai Fook Enterprises were each to own 40% of Goshawk. Goshawk was principally engaged in commercial aircraft leasing and had a portfolio of 27 aircraft at the time. NWS Holdings said the investment was positioned to benefit from growth in aircraft leasing driven by air traffic demand and globalization, and that it would build on its recent investment in Beijing Capital International Airport. The leasing business was to be reported within the Ports and Logistics segment of its Infrastructure division. Goshawk is a Dublin-based aircraft lessor founded in 2013.

Who has invested in Goshawk?

2 investors have backed Goshawk across its funding rounds, including NWS Holdings and Chow Tai Fook Enterprises.


Goshawk Investors

Investors in Goshawk by funding rounds participated
InvestorHQRoundsRoleFirst check

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Acquisitions by Goshawk

Goshawk has acquired 1 company to date.

Last acquisition by Goshawk was on September 13th 2018. Goshawk acquired SKY Leasing (Irish subsidiary) for undisclosed valuation.


Latest Acquisitions by Goshawk

SKY Leasing (Irish subsidiary)
Description
SKY Leasing (Irish subsidiary) is the Irish-incorporated subsidiary of SKY Leasing, a commercial aircraft lessor. It owned aircraft that it leased to airlines under operating leases and formed part of the SKY Leasing group, whose parent was managed from the United States. The subsidiary held its own fleet, separate from the parent's other lessors. The subsidiary was acquired by Goshawk Aviation in September 2018, and its fleet was combined with Goshawk's to create a top ten aircraft lessor with a combined fleet valued at US$11.4 billion. Its revenue came from aircraft lease rentals. The business was based in Dublin, the main European centre for aircraft leasing.
HQ CountryIreland
HQ City
Dublin
Deal Date13 Sep 2018
Valuationundisclosed
EV/Revenue
EV/EBITDA

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Goshawk Competitors

Goshawk competitors include listed companies like GATX, BOC Aviation, Localiza and Tokyo Century, and private ones like Outdoorsy and Loscam.

Public and private companies comparable to Goshawk
CompanyHQStatusRevenueEBITDAValuationRevenue Multiple
GATXUnited StatesUnited StatesPublicly listed$1.7B$1.1B$6.4B8.3x
BOC AviationChinaChinaPublicly listed$2.4B$1.7B$7.1B9.3x
LocalizaBrazilBrazilPublicly listed$7.6B$2.5B$6.1B1.4x
Tokyo CenturyJapanJapanPublicly listed$9.2B$2.8B$7.4B4.1x
OutdoorsyUnited StatesAustin, TXPrivate$34M-$1.8B54.1x
LoscamHong KongHong KongPrivate--$1.7B-

Goshawk Public Comps

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

Last FYEV/RevenueEV/EBITDA
RevenueEBITDALast FYLTM2027ELast FYLTM2027E
GATX$1.7B$1.1B10.8x8.3x16.8x13.4x
BOC Aviation$2.4B$1.7B10.6x9.3x14.8x9.9x
Localiza$7.6B$2.5B1.6x1.4x5.0x4.4x
Tokyo Century$9.2B$2.8B4.1x4.1x13.2x-
Element Fleet Management$2.3B$1.2B6.5x11.9x12.6x-
Rush Enterprises$7.4B$645M0.9x0.9x10.5x10.4x
Ayvens$28B$12B1.6x1.7x3.9x27.2x
Herc Holdings$4.3B$1.5B3.4x3.0x9.8x7.1x

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Common questions about Goshawk

When was Goshawk founded?Goshawk was founded in 2013.
Where is Goshawk headquartered?Goshawk is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland.
Is Goshawk publicly listed?No, Goshawk was acquired by SMBC Aviation Capital in May 2022.
Who acquired Goshawk?Goshawk was acquired by SMBC Aviation Capital in May 2022.
How much was Goshawk acquired for?Goshawk was acquired for $6.7B in May 2022.
Who are Goshawk's investors?Goshawk's investors include NWS Holdings and Chow Tai Fook Enterprises.
Which companies are comparable to Goshawk?Companies comparable to Goshawk include GATX, BOC Aviation, Localiza, Tokyo Century, Outdoorsy and Loscam.
How many companies has Goshawk acquired?Goshawk has acquired 1 company, including SKY Leasing (Irish subsidiary).

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