Air Lease Corporation

Air Lease Corporation

Company type	Public
Industry	Aircraft leasing
Founded	2010 (2010)
Founder	Steven F. Udvar-Házy
Headquarters	Los Angeles , United States
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Steven F. Udvar-Házy (Chairman and CEO), John Plueger (COO)
Products	Aircraft leasing
Website	www.airleasecorp.com

Air Lease Corporation (ALC) is an American aircraft leasing enterprise established in 2010, under the leadership of Steven F. Udvar-Házy. The company procures new commercial airplanes directly from manufacturers such as Boeing, Airbus, Embraer, and ATR, subsequently leasing them worldwide to airlines through tailored leasing and financial arrangements.

As of the close of 2017, ALC's fleet comprised 244 aircraft from Airbus, Boeing, Embraer, and ATR, leased to more than 91 airlines spanning 55 countries across key global markets. The firm provides net operating leases, wherein lessees assume responsibility for maintenance, insurance, taxes, and other operating costs throughout the lease duration.

Currently, Air Lease possesses a total of 472 aircraft—354 narrowbody and 118 widebody models—with an additional 320 planes on order.

ALC is in the process of being acquired by a consortium that includes Sumitomo Corporation, SMBC Aviation Capital, Apollo, and Brookfield. This transaction is projected to finalize by the first quarter of fiscal year 2026, after which the company will be rebranded as Sumisho Air Lease Corporation.

History

Chairman and CEO Steven Udvar-Házy previously co-founded the Century City-based aircraft leasing leader International Lease Finance Corp. (ILFC) and continued as CEO following its acquisition by American International Group (AIG) in 1990. He departed ILFC in 2010 after disagreements with AIG, leading to the creation of Air Lease.

In February 2010, Udvar-Házy launched Air Lease alongside former ILFC COO John Plueger, who remains in the COO role. On April 19, 2011, Air Lease conducted its initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange, generating around US$965.6 million. By 2015, Udvar-Házy owned a 7% share of the company and was estimated by Forbes to have a net worth of $3.7 billion.

Aircraft leasing

During the 2019 Paris Air Show, Virgin Atlantic entered into an agreement for up to 20 Airbus A330-900 aircraft, marking it as the first UK operator of this model. Of these, eight will be purchased directly from Airbus, six from Air Lease Corporation, with options for six additional units intended to replace older A330-200 and A330-300 models. Deliveries are scheduled between September 2021 and 2024.

At the same event, Air Lease secured orders for 29 Airbus A321XLR airplanes along with a letter of intent covering 50 Airbus A220-300 jets.

Acquisition

On September 2, 2025, Air Lease announced its forthcoming acquisition by a consortium comprising Sumitomo Corporation, SMBC Aviation Capital, Apollo, and Brookfield for approximately US$7.4 billion. The closing of this deal is expected by Q1 FY2026, after which the company will adopt the new name Sumisho Air Lease Corporation.