Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) Ltd has completed the acquisition of Macquarie AirFinance Limited (MAF) and its subsidiaries, making it one of the year’s largest aircraft leasing deals. The transaction is valued at approximately $9bn, reflecting changes to MAF’s fleet between the announcement and closing.
DAE now has a portfolio of approximately 1,000 owned, managed, and committed aircraft. These aircraft are leased to more than 175 airlines in over 75 countries. DAE also has commitments to acquire around 150 additional aircraft from Boeing, Airbus, ATR, and other manufacturers.
Firoz Tarapore, Chief Executive Officer of DAE, stated, “With a track record of successful transformational acquisitions, the closing of MAF marks another milestone on our journey. Our current fleet size makes us the third largest lessor globally, both by fleet value and number of owned and managed aircraft. We have positioned ourselves as a global leader in fleet solutions for our airline customers, delivering high-quality, competitive solutions, which are further supported by our recently announced initiatives with both Blackstone and Neuberger, allowing us to provide a compelling offering across fleet lifecycles.”
Tarapore added, “This transaction also allows us to deepen our long-standing relationships with Boeing and Airbus. Delivery slots on our orderbook now extend into the 2030s, giving us the flexibility to better support our airline customers’ fleet requirements.”
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Tarapore further highlighted, “We are excited to both welcome new airline customers to DAE Capital and expand our relationship with current airline customers as part of the transaction, and we look forward to building on the strengths of the combined business.”
The acquisition was announced in February 2026. DAE received advisory support from Allen Overy Shearman Sterling LLP and KPMG.
