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- Macquarie AirFinance
Macquarie AirFinance Acquisition & Valuation
Macquarie AirFinance was acquired by Dubai Aerospace Enterprise for $9B in February 2026, a 21.6x multiple on $417M of revenue.
Macquarie AirFinance acquisition price
$9B
Acquired by Dubai Aerospace Enterprise · Feb 2026
Macquarie AirFinance revenue at acquisition
$417M
Last twelve months · Feb 2026
Macquarie AirFinance revenue multiple at acquisition
21.6x
EV/Revenue · Feb 2026
Macquarie AirFinance EBITDA multiple at acquisition
70.3x
EV/EBITDA · Feb 2026
Macquarie AirFinance Overview
About Macquarie AirFinance
Macquarie AirFinance (MAF) is an Ireland-based aircraft operating lessor that Macquarie established in 2006. It buys new-generation commercial jets, largely narrowbody aircraft, and leases them to airlines; when its sale was announced in February 2026 its portfolio comprised 352 aircraft, including orders, across 48 countries. It earns rental income under operating leases. Macquarie Group sold a 25 per cent interest to the PGGM Infrastructure Fund in May 2019 and another 25 per cent to Sunsuper, now Australian Retirement Trust, in December 2019, keeping 50 per cent. Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) agreed on 26 February 2026 to buy 100 per cent for an enterprise value of about USD 7 billion and completed the purchase on 29 July 2026 at about USD 9.0 billion after fleet changes between signing and closing. The acquisition made DAE the third-largest lessor by fleet value, with about 1,000 owned, managed and committed aircraft.
Founded
2006
HQ
Website
Status
Acquired
Customer focus
B2B
Revenue model
Services
Revenue
$417M (Feb 2026)
Valuation
$9B (acquired Feb 2026)
Sectors
Macquarie AirFinance Acquisition
Macquarie AirFinance was acquired by Dubai Aerospace Enterprise for $9B on 26 February 2026.
The acquisition price implies a 21.6x revenue and 70.3x EBITDA multiple on $417M of revenue.
Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) signed a definitive agreement on 26 February 2026 to acquire 100 per cent of Macquarie AirFinance Limited, an Ireland-based aircraft lessor established by Macquarie in 2006, in an all-cash transaction at an enterprise value of about USD 7 billion. The business was owned by Macquarie Group (50 per cent), the PGGM Infrastructure Fund (25 per cent) and Australian Retirement Trust (25 per cent). Macquarie said the platform held 352 commercial aircraft, including orders, across 48 countries. DAE planned to fund the purchase with a combination of debt and equity while preserving its investment-grade credit ratings, and the transaction was subject to regulatory approvals. DAE completed the acquisition on 29 July 2026, when the enterprise value had risen to about USD 9.0 billion to reflect changes in Macquarie AirFinance's fleet between signing and closing. The combined group has about 1,000 owned, managed and committed aircraft leased to more than 175 airlines in over 75 countries, making DAE the third-largest lessor by fleet value.
| Acquirer | Date | Type | Price | EV/Revenue | EV/EBITDA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Feb 2026 | Strategic M&A | $9B | 21.6x | 70.3x |
Sources: dubaiaerospace.com, dubaiaerospace.com, bloomberg.com, dubaiaerospace.com, macquarie.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 | On 19 December 2019 Macquarie Group announced that Sunsuper, the Australian profit-for-members superannuation fund now part of Australian Retirement Trust, would take a 25 per cent interest in Macquarie AirFinance, seven months after the PGGM Infrastructure Fund bought an equal stake. The price was not disclosed. Macquarie Group's holding fell to 50 per cent, and Macquarie AirFinance was designated the exclusive platform for both investors' aviation leasing investments. Sunsuper had about 1.4 million members and about $70 billion of funds under management in October 2019, and it described the investment as unique in size and structure for an Australian superannuation fund. At 30 September 2019 the lessor owned and managed 196 aircraft with another 60 on order. Macquarie said Sunsuper shared its objective of continued investment in the aircraft operating lease sector. The stake passed to Australian Retirement Trust, which remained a 25 per cent holder until the 2026 sale to Dubai Aerospace Enterprise. |
| May 2019 | Secondary | PGGM Investments | On 7 May 2019 Macquarie Group announced that the PGGM Infrastructure Fund would take a 25 per cent interest in Macquarie AirFinance, its aircraft operating lease platform, leaving Macquarie with the other 75 per cent at that point. The price was not disclosed. The deal was PGGM's first investment in aircraft leasing; PGGM is a Dutch pension-services cooperative that managed about EUR 211 billion at the end of 2018 and administers pensions for 4.4 million participants. At the time Macquarie AirFinance owned and managed 196 aircraft with another 60 on order, and it served about 90 airline customers in 50 countries. Macquarie said a long-term institutional partner would support continued investment and fleet growth, and PGGM said it would look to grow the business and support its strategy. A second 25 per cent stake was sold to Sunsuper in December 2019, and the whole platform 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 Hotai Motor, U-Haul, Ayvens and Ryder, and private ones like Outdoorsy and Loscam.
| Company | HQ | Status | Revenue | EBITDA | Valuation | Revenue Multiple |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Publicly listed | $7.8B | $1.5B | $8.9B | - | ||
| Publicly listed | $6B | $1.6B | $9.8B | 2.7x | ||
| Publicly listed | $28B | $12B | $8.2B | 1.7x | ||
| Publicly listed | $13B | $3.3B | $10B | 1.4x | ||
| Private | $34M | - | $1.8B | 54.1x | ||
| Private | - | - | $1.7B | - |
Macquarie AirFinance Public Comps
Macquarie AirFinance is no longer listed, but its public comps include Hotai Motor, Ayvens, U-Haul, Ryder, Tokyo Century, BOC Aviation, GATX, Localiza, Element Fleet Management and Rush Enterprises.
| Last FY | EV/Revenue | EV/EBITDA | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | EBITDA | Last FY | LTM | 2027E | Last FY | LTM | 2027E | |
| $7.8B | $1.5B | 2.4x | - | 12.3x | - | |||
| $28B | $12B | 1.6x | 1.7x | 3.9x | 27.2x | |||
| $6B | $1.6B | 2.7x | 2.7x | 10.2x | 9.6x | |||
| $13B | $3.3B | 1.4x | 1.4x | 5.5x | 6.3x | |||
| $9.2B | $2.8B | 4.1x | 4.1x | 13.2x | - | |||
| $2.4B | $1.7B | 10.6x | 9.3x | 14.8x | 9.9x | |||
| $1.7B | $1.1B | 10.8x | 8.3x | 16.8x | 13.4x | |||
| $7.6B | $2.5B | 1.6x | 1.4x | 5.0x | 4.4x | |||
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
| When was Macquarie AirFinance founded? | Macquarie AirFinance was founded in 2006. |
| 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 $9B in February 2026, a 21.6x revenue multiple. |
| 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 Hotai Motor, U-Haul, Ayvens, Ryder, Outdoorsy and Loscam. |
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