Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) is set to complete a $7 billion takeover of rival lessor Macquarie AirFinance (MAF) after signing a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of the company.
On February 26, 2026, DAE said that the transaction had been approved by its Board of Directors and will now await regulatory approvals with the deal expected to close in the second half of 2026.
DAE said that its fleet combined with that of Dublin-based Macquarie AirFinance will build a portfolio of 1,029 owned, managed and committed aircraft with 191 airline customers in 79 countries.
“This transaction continues DAE’s tradition of acquiring established platforms and fleets that are franchise enhancing in nature and represent exceptional shareholder value,” said Khalifa AlDaboos, Managing Director of DAE.
DAE is expected to welcome 37 new airline customers to its portfolio on completion, including airline customers in seven new countries. Narrowbody aircraft will represent approximately 70% of the combined fleet.
“We are thrilled at this opportunity to bring the fleet and people of MAF into our fold and create a bigger, stronger, more diversified, and well-capitalized aircraft leasing company. Our increased scale and presence, along with an enhanced order book, will allow us to serve an additional number of customers with competitively priced offerings that reflect the synergies associated with our new scale,” said Firoz Tarapore, CEO of DAE.
He added: “Our industrial-strength platform will effortlessly handle the onboarding of this transaction which, when completed, will more than double DAE’s fleet size compared to year-end 2024.”
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