Dubai Aerospace Enterprise to acquire Macquarie AirFinance for USD7bn
Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) signed (26-Feb-2026) a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of Macquarie AirFinance for an approximate enterprise value of USD7 billion. The transaction is expected to close in 2H2026 and will be funded through a combination of debt and equity. The combined company will have a pro forma fleet of 1029 owned, managed and committed aircraft and will serve 191 airline customers in 79 countries. Narrowbody aircraft will make up approximately 70% of the combined fleet. DAE expects to add 37 new airline customers to its portfolio on completion. [more - original PR]
Background ✨
DAE's fleet scale was reshaped by its USD2 billion acquisition of Nordic Aviation Capital, completed in May-2025, lifting the owned, managed and committed fleet to about 750 aircraft and expanding its lessee base to 161 airlines in 74 countries, according to CEO Firoz Tarapore.1 2 In 2025, it acquired 280 aircraft, sold 111-112 and raised USD3.9 billion in debt financing, including a USD650 million sukuk.3 4