Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) and Blackstone Credit & Insurance (BXCI) have signed an agreement to partner on the launch of a new long-term global investment programme, branded ‘Equator’, which will invest in aircraft leased to commercial airlines, with a target annual deployment of approximately US$1.6 billion.
Equator will build a diversified portfolio of commercial aircraft leased to leading airlines worldwide. DAE will source assets from third parties, while its Aircraft Investor Services (AIS) division will manage the assets owned by Equator. BXCI is expected to provide a full spectrum of capital to support the programme, enabling flexible and reliable financing solutions across market cycles and investment opportunities. The BXCI investor group will also include capital from funds managed by ITE Management, L.P., a strategic partner of BXCI.
With a fleet of approximately 700 aircraft—including more than 100 aircraft valued at over US$4 billion under management as of 31 December 2025—DAE is one of the world’s largest aircraft lessors. The company also acts as servicer across seventeen servicing and management agreements for institutional and financial investors, providing its aircraft management expertise.
