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2026-04-09 18:59:54
[Dubai Aerospace and Blackstone Join Forces to Target Global Capacity Gap with Billions in Aircraft Leasing Funds] ⑴ Dubai-based aerospace company and Blackstone Credit & Insurance announced an agreement on Thursday to jointly launch an aircraft leasing co-investment program called Equator, targeting an annual deployment of approximately $1.6 billion. ⑵ The program will build a portfolio of commercial aircraft leasing assets for global airlines. Dubai Aerospace will be responsible for acquiring aircraft resources from third-party channels, while its aircraft investor services division will handle asset management and operations. ⑶ This collaboration marks another significant step by the alternative asset management giant into the aviation finance sector. The industry landscape, where aircraft supply bottlenecks continue to drive up leasing rates, is attracting increasing amounts of institutional capital. ⑷ Blackstone Credit & Insurance's Infrastructure & Asset Credit Group manages over $100 billion in assets, and the Equator program's investor base will also include funds from funds managed by its strategic partner, ITE Management. (5) The statement discloses that Dubai Airways' fleet comprises approximately 700 aircraft, of which over 100 aircraft, valued at more than $4 billion, are under third-party management by the end of 2025. The company is currently fulfilling its service provider responsibilities under 17 management agreements for institutional and financial investors. (6) Analysts believe that the global aviation industry continues to face the dual pressures of delayed new aircraft deliveries and the retirement of older models during the post-pandemic recovery process. Aircraft leasing assets, with their inflation-resistant cash flow characteristics, are becoming a rare and stable return target in the alternative investment field.
