Air Lease has secured shareholder approval for its proposed acquisition, clearing a major hurdle towards the company’s sale to a new Dublin-based holding company.
At a special meeting, holders of Air Lease Class A common stock voted to approve the previously announced merger agreement under which the aircraft lessor will be acquired by Sumisho Air Lease Corporation DAC. The new holding company will be owned by Sumitomo Corporation, SMBC Aviation Capital and investment vehicles affiliated with funds managed by Apollo and Brookfield.
Under the terms of the transaction, Air Lease Class A shareholders will receive US$65.00 in cash for each share held immediately prior to completion of the merger. On closing, Air Lease will be renamed Sumisho Air Lease Corporation, reflecting its new ownership structure and positioning.
Holders of approximately 80.7% of the shares of Class A common stock outstanding as of the close of business on November 3, 2025, the record date for the special meeting, voted in favour of the approval and adoption of the merger agreement.
John L. Plueger, Chief Executive Officer and President of Air Lease, said, “We are pleased with the results from our special meeting and thank our stockholders for their support. Today marks a major milestone for Air Lease. We look forward to completing this transaction.”
The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2026, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions set out in the merger agreement. These conditions are detailed in the definitive proxy statement filed with the US securities regulator in early November 2025 and subsequently supplemented later that month.
Once completed, the deal will mark the end of Air Lease’s tenure as a publicly listed company on the New York Stock Exchange and usher in a new phase under private ownership, backed by a consortium combining strategic aviation lessors and global investment firms.
