Air Lease to be Acquired by Sumitomo, SMBC Aviation, Apollo, and Brookfield for $28.2 Billion

Air Lease Corporation (AL) entered a merger agreement on September 2, 2025, to be acquired by Sumitomo Corporation, SMBC Aviation Capital Limited, Apollo Funds (APO), and Brookfield (BAM), in an all-cash deal valued at $28.2 billion.

Deal Structure:

Air Lease stockholders will receive $65 in cash for each share of Class A common stock of Air Lease, representing a premium of 7.96% from the stock’s last close.

Air Lease will be acquired by a new holding company based in Dublin, Ireland, whose shares are held by Sumitomo Corporation, SMBC Aviation Capital Limited, and investment vehicles affiliated with Apollo-managed funds and Brookfield.

Company Profile:

Air Lease is a global aircraft leasing company based in Los Angeles that buys new commercial aircraft and leases them to airlines worldwide, while also selling aircraft and providing fleet management services.

Sumitomo is a globally integrated trading and investment company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, with diversified operations spanning sectors including steel, automotive, construction, media and digital, energy, chemicals, minerals, lifestyle, and urban development.

SMBC Aviation is a global aircraft leasing company headquartered in Dublin that ranks among the world’s largest lessors, leasing and trading young, fuel-efficient jets to airlines worldwide, and is supported by major shareholders Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group and Sumitomo Corporation.

Deal Details and Timeline:

Air Lease will change its name to Sumisho Air Lease, a new company that will be set up upon closing.

Apollo and Brookfield have committed capital to support the transaction.

The deal is expected to close in the first half of 2026.

SMBC, Citi, and Goldman Sachs Bank USA are providing $12.1 billion in financing for the deal.

J.P. Morgan is serving as financial advisor, and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom as legal advisor to Air Lease. Citigroup and Goldman Sachs International are serving as financial advisors to SMBC Aviation Capital, with Davis Polk & Wardwell and McCann Fitzgerald acting as its legal advisors. Goldman Sachs Japan and Citigroup Global Markets Japan are serving as financial advisors to Sumitomo, with Norton Rose Fulbright as its legal advisor. Milbank is acting as legal advisor to Apollo and Brookfield.

Deal Metrics:

For more insights and details on this merger and acquisition transaction, please visit the Deal Metrics page at:

Deal Metrics for the acquisition of Air Lease Corporation (AL) by Sumitomo Corp, SMBC Aviation, Apollo Funds, Brookfield

The Deal Metrics page offers:

• A detailed chart of the merger’s spread history from announcement to completion or failure.
• A timeline of all the events as the merger progresses through the expiration of the HSR period, regulatory approvals, shareholder votes, and more.
• Access to news and SEC filings.
• A history of deal updates.
• And much more.

Disclaimer: Please conduct your own due diligence before buying or selling any securities mentioned in this article. We do not guarantee the completeness or accuracy of the content or data provided in this article.

Editor’s Note: Baranjot Kaur contributed to this article