Aircraft leasing faces shake-up as risks cloud recovery

Deal puts SMBC in industry's second spot globally after leapfrogging Dublin-based rival Avolon

Leasing companies now control more than half of the world's fleet of aircraft. Picture: Michael Spooneybarger

Global aircraft leasing faces a new shake-up after SMBC Aviation Capital's deal to buy smaller rival Goshawk Aviation for $6.7bn (€6.34bn).

The move comes as firms report a stronger-than-expected recovery — but one increasingly overshadowed by inflation, rising borrowing costs, and the effects of the conflict in Ukraine.