Commercial Aircraft Lessors & Portfolios
Comparative intelligence on global commercial aircraft leasing corporations, portfolio asset valuations, average fleet age, direct OEM order books, and operating carrier placements as of 2026-09-17 (Thursday, September 17, 2026).
Airline Lease Dependency & Lessor Exposure Matrix
Explore debt structures, owned vs leased fleet shares, and counterparty concentration risk across major global airlines.
Global Aircraft Leasing Companies Ranked by Portfolio
| Lessor Corporation | Headquarters | Portfolio Fleet | Asset Value ($B) | Avg. Age | Lease Term | Order Book | Key Airline Placements | Credit Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AerCap | Ireland | 1,740 | $72.5B | 7.2 yrs | 7.5 yrs | +340 | BBB / Baa2 | |
| Avolon | Ireland | 1,050 | $31.2B | 6.1 yrs | 6.9 yrs | +450 | BBB / Baa3 | |
| SMBC Aviation Capital | Ireland | 920 | $32B | 5.4 yrs | 7.1 yrs | +260 | A- / A3 | |
| BOC Aviation | Singapore | 680 | $24.8B | 4.9 yrs | 8 yrs | +230 | A- / A3 | |
| Air Lease Corporation | United States | 560 | $26.5B | 4.5 yrs | 7.3 yrs | +310 | BBB+ / Baa1 | |
| BBAM | United States | 510 | $18.2B | 9.2 yrs | 6.2 yrs | +110 | Private / Institutional | |
| DAE Capital | United Arab Emirates | 500 | $16.8B | 6.8 yrs | 6.7 yrs | +95 | BBB+ / Baa2 | |
| ICBC Leasing | China | 480 | $19.5B | 5.8 yrs | 7.6 yrs | +140 | A / A1 | |
| Aviation Capital Group | United States | 480 | $15.2B | 5.9 yrs | 7.2 yrs | +130 | A- / A3 (Tokyo Century) | |
| CDB Aviation | Ireland | 390 | $14.5B | 5.2 yrs | 7.4 yrs | +120 | A / A1 | |
| Nordic Aviation Capital | Ireland | 390 | $7.8B | 8.4 yrs | 5.8 yrs | +50 | Specialist Regional | |
| Carlyle Aviation Partners | United States | 380 | $11.5B | 9.8 yrs | 5.4 yrs | +35 | Private Equity / Carlyle | |
| Castlelake | United States | 320 | $9.2B | 10.2 yrs | 5.1 yrs | +25 | Alternative Asset Manager | |
| Jackson Square Aviation | United States | 260 | $12B | 4.8 yrs | 7.8 yrs | +80 | A- / A3 (Mitsubishi HC Capital) | |
| ORIX Aviation | Ireland | 250 | $10.1B | 6.9 yrs | 6.6 yrs | +40 | A- / A3 (ORIX Corp) | |
| Macquarie AirFinance | Ireland | 240 | $9.5B | 7.8 yrs | 6.5 yrs | +45 | BBB / Baa2 | |
| Goshawk Aviation | Ireland | 220 | $7.4B | 6.5 yrs | 6.8 yrs | +30 | SMBC / Joint |
Frequently Asked Questions About Aircraft Lessors
Key details regarding commercial aircraft leasing, order books, and sale-and-leaseback financing.
What is the role of an aircraft operating lessor?
Operating lessors purchase commercial aircraft directly from manufacturers like Boeing and Airbus or via sale-leaseback (SLB) transactions, leasing them to airlines under multi-year operating contracts to provide airline balance sheet flexibility.
Who are the largest commercial aircraft leasing companies?
AerCap is the world largest aircraft leasing company managing over 1,700 aircraft, followed by SMBC Aviation Capital, Air Lease Corporation (ALC), Avolon, BOC Aviation, and BBAM.
What percentage of the global commercial airline fleet is leased?
Approximately 50 percent of all commercial passenger and cargo airframes worldwide are owned by operating lessors rather than directly by operating airlines.
What is a sale-and-leaseback (SLB) transaction?
In an SLB transaction, an airline orders aircraft directly from the OEM, then sells the delivery position to a leasing company upon delivery and leases the aircraft back, immediately recouping capital expenditure while preserving operational use.