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- Macquarie AirFinance
Macquarie AirFinance Acquisition & Valuation
Macquarie AirFinance was acquired by Dubai Aerospace Enterprise for $7B in February 2026.
Macquarie AirFinance acquisition price
$7B
Acquired by Dubai Aerospace Enterprise · Feb 2026
Key investors in Macquarie AirFinance
PGGM Investments
Australian Retirement Trust
Macquarie AirFinance Overview
About Macquarie AirFinance
Macquarie AirFinance is a commercial aircraft lessor and financier, operating as a subsidiary of Macquarie Group from Dublin. The firm leases narrowbody and widebody jets plus freighters to airlines in North America, Europe, Asia, and beyond. Macquarie AirFinance earns revenue from long-term operating leases and related services like maintenance.
HQ
Website
Status
Acquired
Customer focus
B2B
Revenue model
Services
Valuation
$7B (acquired Feb 2026)
Sectors
Macquarie AirFinance Acquisition
Macquarie AirFinance was acquired by Dubai Aerospace Enterprise for $7B on 27 February 2026.
Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) agreed on 26 February 2026 to acquire Macquarie AirFinance, an Ireland-based aircraft leasing platform, from Macquarie Group in an all-cash transaction valuing the business at about USD 7 billion on an enterprise basis. The deal was expected to expand DAE's fleet to more than 1,000 owned, managed and committed aircraft, serving airline customers across nearly 80 countries, and to make the combined group one of the largest aircraft lessors globally. DAE said it would finance the transaction with a mix of debt and equity. The transaction closed in July 2026; by closing, changes to Macquarie AirFinance's fleet since the announcement had increased the deal's implied value to about USD 9 billion.
| Acquirer | Date | Type | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27 Feb 2026 | Strategic M&A | $7B |
Sources: dubaiaerospace.com, bloomberg.com, dubaiaerospace.com
Macquarie AirFinance Funding History
Macquarie AirFinance has 2 recorded secondary share sales and no primary funding rounds.
| Date | Stage | Investors | Deal Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2019 | Secondary | Australian Retirement Trust | Sunsuper, now Australian Retirement Trust, agreed to take a 25 per cent interest in Macquarie Group's aircraft operating lease business Macquarie AirFinance, mirroring the 25 per cent stake Dutch pension manager PGGM had bought seven months earlier. The purchase left Macquarie Group with 50 per cent and a commitment to make AirFinance its exclusive platform for aviation leasing investment, with Macquarie providing support services to grow the fleet. Neither party disclosed the price. |
| May 2019 | Secondary | PGGM Investments | Macquarie Group announced that the PGGM Infrastructure Fund would take a 25 per cent interest in Macquarie AirFinance, the group's aircraft operating lease platform, in PGGM's first investment in aircraft leasing. Macquarie retained the remaining 75 per cent and said the Dutch pension investor would provide long-term capital to support fleet growth, with PGGM gaining input on fleet composition and carbon footprint. Terms were not disclosed; PGGM remained a 25 per cent shareholder alongside Macquarie and the Australian Retirement Trust until Macquarie AirFinance was sold to Dubai Aerospace Enterprise in 2026. |
Who has invested in Macquarie AirFinance?
2 investors have backed Macquarie AirFinance across its funding rounds, including PGGM Investments and Australian Retirement Trust.
Macquarie AirFinance Investors
| Investor | HQ | Rounds | Role | First check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Benchmark 350K+ Funding Rounds and Disclosed VC Valuation Multiples
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Start Free TrialMacquarie AirFinance Competitors
Macquarie AirFinance competitors include listed companies like Element Fleet Management, GATX, BOC Aviation and Localiza, and private ones like Mayer's Cars and Trucks and Outdoorsy.
| Company | HQ | Status | Revenue | EBITDA | Valuation | Revenue Multiple |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Publicly listed | $2.3B | $1.2B | $7.1B | 13.0x | ||
| Publicly listed | $1.7B | $1.1B | $6.4B | 8.7x | ||
| Publicly listed | $2.4B | $1.7B | $6.3B | 9.0x | ||
| Publicly listed | $8.1B | $2.7B | $7.8B | 1.6x | ||
| Private | $1.9B | - | $7.9B | 4.2x | ||
| Private | $34M | - | $1.8B | 54.1x |
Macquarie AirFinance Public Comps
Macquarie AirFinance is no longer listed, but its public comps include Element Fleet Management, GATX, BOC Aviation, Localiza, Rush Enterprises, Tokyo Century, Ryder, Hotai Motor, Herc Holdings and Ayvens.
| Last FY | EV/Revenue | EV/EBITDA | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | EBITDA | Last FY | LTM | 2027E | Last FY | LTM | 2027E | |
| $2.3B | $1.2B | 7.1x | 13.0x | 13.7x | - | |||
| $1.7B | $1.1B | 10.9x | 8.7x | 16.8x | 14.1x | |||
| $2.4B | $1.7B | 10.2x | 9.0x | 14.3x | 9.6x | |||
| $8.1B | $2.7B | 1.8x | 1.6x | 5.6x | 5.0x | |||
| $7.4B | $645M | 1.0x | 0.9x | 11.2x | 11.0x | |||
| $9.4B | $2.9B | 4.2x | 4.2x | 13.6x | - | |||
| $13B | $3.3B | 1.4x | 1.3x | 5.2x | 6.1x | |||
| $8.1B | $1.6B | 2.4x | - | 12.3x | - | |||
This data is available for Pro users. Sign up to see all Macquarie AirFinance competitors and their valuation data. Start Free Trial | ||||||||
Common questions about Macquarie AirFinance
| Where is Macquarie AirFinance headquartered? | Macquarie AirFinance is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland. |
| Is Macquarie AirFinance publicly listed? | No, Macquarie AirFinance was acquired by Dubai Aerospace Enterprise in February 2026. |
| Who acquired Macquarie AirFinance? | Macquarie AirFinance was acquired by Dubai Aerospace Enterprise in February 2026. |
| How much was Macquarie AirFinance acquired for? | Macquarie AirFinance was acquired for $7B in February 2026. |
| Who are Macquarie AirFinance's investors? | Macquarie AirFinance's investors include PGGM Investments and Australian Retirement Trust. |
| Which companies are comparable to Macquarie AirFinance? | Companies comparable to Macquarie AirFinance include Element Fleet Management, GATX, BOC Aviation, Localiza, Mayer's Cars and Trucks and Outdoorsy. |
See companies similar to Macquarie AirFinance
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