01 Industry overview
The aircraft leasing industry at a glance
The global aircraft leasing market is estimated at $229.6 billion in 2026, with lessors controlling 51.7% of the passenger fleet in 2024 as airlines rely on leasing amid aircraft delivery constraints.
- $229.6B[58]
- Market size, 2026 estimate
- 51.7%[59]
- Passenger fleet leased, 2024
- 47%[25]
- Top 10 lessor share, 2025
- 3,500[14]
- AerCap total assets, 2025
- Market size
- Global aircraft leasing market revenue was estimated at $207.1 billion in 2025 and $229.6 billion in 2026, according to Global Market Insights. Definitions vary across market studies because some measure lease revenue while others include aircraft asset values.[58]
- Forecast & CAGR
- Global Market Insights forecasts the market to reach $636.5 billion by 2035, implying a 12% CAGR from 2026 to 2035. A separate 2026 study by Fortune Business Insights projects a lower 7.6% CAGR through 2034, highlighting the effect of differing market definitions.[58][60]
- Market share & regions
- Leased aircraft represented 51.7% of the global passenger fleet in 2024, down from 52.1% in 2023. North America is identified as the largest regional market, while Asia-Pacific is forecast to be the fastest-growing region through 2035.[59][58]
- Segmentation
- The industry is segmented by aircraft type, lease structure and customer type. AerCap reported 1,413 owned passenger aircraft, 88 owned freighters, 470 owned engines and 323 owned helicopters at December 31, 2025; its total portfolio of owned, managed and ordered assets was 3,500.[14]
- Key players & concentration
- The top 10 lessors held approximately 47% of aircraft lessor market share in June 2025, while the top five held 33% and the top two held 22%, based on aircraft of at least 100 seats. AerCap remained the largest individual platform, reporting 3,500 owned, managed and ordered assets at year-end 2025.[25][14]
- Pricing
- Aircraft and engine pricing has tightened as supply constraints increase replacement costs. A January 2025 comparison cited by The Week put the monthly lease cost of two engines at about $400,000, versus approximately $306,000 for an A320neo aircraft lease.[61]
- Trends, drivers & challenges
- Demand is supported by airline fleet expansion, delayed manufacturer deliveries and the need for flexible capacity. The leased share of the passenger fleet nevertheless fell to 51.7% in 2024, while lessors faced limited new-aircraft slots, higher funding costs and competition for sale-and-leaseback transactions.[59][62]
- Consumer behavior & competition
- Airlines increasingly use operating leases to obtain aircraft without committing the full purchase price and to manage capacity during uncertain demand cycles. Competition is strongest for fuel-efficient narrowbodies: lessor order backlogs included 803 Boeing 737-8 aircraft and 693 Airbus A321-200N aircraft as of January 14, 2026.[63][59]
- M&A
- Dubai Aerospace Enterprise completed its approximately $2.0 billion acquisition of Nordic Aviation Capital on May 7, 2025. DAE said the transaction created a platform with approximately 750 owned, managed and committed aircraft and about 650 owned and managed aircraft on lease.[64]
- Regulation
- Regulatory activity continues around aircraft-finance structures and lessor due diligence. In July 2026, the Malta Financial Services Authority proposed rules for notified aircraft financial leasing companies and related due-diligence service providers, with consultation feedback subsequently submitted by industry advisers.[65]
- Latest news
- DAE's 2025 update reported 280 aircraft acquired, 112 aircraft sold and 273 lease agreements, extensions and amendments completed. The company also reported $3.9 billion of new debt financing and said its fleet grew 35% during 2025, placing DAE among the top five global lessors by fleet count.[66]
02 Ranking
Top 10 Companies in the Aircraft Leasing Industry
The leading companies in the aircraft leasing industry, ranked on market impact, performance, momentum, innovation and brand popularity.
Updated November 11, 2026 · Next review December 11, 2026
Avolon stands out for commercial aircraft leasing scale because it reported an owned, managed and committed fleet of 1,132 aircraft at year-end 2025, while AerCap leads in global commercial aircraft and engine leasing since it owned 1,501 aircraft and managed 148 at December 31, 2025.
Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓
Editor's top 3 picks
Where to start, by need.
#1 Overall · Leader in commercial aircraft leasing
Avolon
IE
Ranked #1 · 9.1 · Commercial aircraft leasing
Why we picked it: Its commercial aircraft leasing and finance footprint is quantified by an owned, managed and committed fleet of 1,132 aircraft at year-end 2025.
#2 overall
AerCap
IE
Ranked #2 · 9.0 · Commercial aircraft leasing
Why we picked it: It reports a portfolio mix across owned and managed aircraft at December 31, 2025, including operating margin of 67.4% and revenue growth of 7.8%.
#3 overall
Aviation Capital Group
US
Ranked #3 · 9.0 · Commercial aircraft leasing
Why we picked it: Its reported aircraft base is concentrated in global commercial aircraft leasing, quantified as 494 owned, managed and committed aircraft.
Pick 1 is the #1 company overall. No other segment places in the top 5, so picks 2 and 3 follow rank.
Full ranking
| # | Company | Overall ↓ | Impact | Performance | Momentum | Innovation | Company snapshot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Avolon Commercial aircraft leasing · IE | 9.1 | 9.9 | 7.9 | 9.0 | 9.9 | |
Company snapshot · Avolon · Data as of November 11, 2026 Avolon reported an owned, managed and committed fleet of 1,132 aircraft at year-end 2025.[46]
| |||||||
| 2 | AerCap Commercial aircraft leasing · IE | 9.0 | 9.6 | 9.2 | 9.0 | 8.0 | |
Company snapshot · AerCap · Data as of November 11, 2026 AerCap owned 1,501 aircraft and managed 148 aircraft at December 31, 2025.[14]
| |||||||
| 3 | Aviation Capital Group Commercial aircraft leasing · US | 9.0 | 7.9 | 9.8 | 9.2 | 8.9 | |
Company snapshot · Aviation Capital Group · Data as of November 11, 2026 ACG had 494 owned, managed and committed aircraft as of September 30, 2026.[21]
| |||||||
| 4 | Castlelake Commercial aircraft leasing · US | 8.8 | 7.0 | 9.8 | 9.9 | 8.9 | |
Company snapshot · Castlelake · Data as of November 11, 2026 Castlelake ranked fifteenth globally with 234 aircraft in the 2026 lessor ranking.[42]
| |||||||
| 5 | Aircastle Commercial aircraft leasing · US | 8.7 | 8.5 | 9.9 | 9.2 | 8.0 | |
Company snapshot · Aircastle · Data as of November 11, 2026 Aircastle owned and managed 268 aircraft leased to 67 airlines as of August 31, 2026.[13]
| |||||||
| 6 | CDB Aviation Global commercial aircraft operating leasing · IE | 8.5 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 8.9 | |
Company snapshot · CDB Aviation · Data as of November 11, 2026 CDB Aviation reported 312 aircraft in fleet and 165 committed aircraft in 2026.[67]
| |||||||
| 7 | Air Lease Corporation Commercial aircraft leasing and fleet management · US | 8.5 | 8.9 | 8.4 | 8.2 | 8.0 | |
Company snapshot · Air Lease Corporation · Data as of November 11, 2026 Air Lease ended 2025 with 490 owned aircraft and 45 managed aircraft.[20]
| |||||||
| 8 | Jackson Square Aviation Commercial aircraft leasing and asset management · US | 8.4 | 7.0 | 9.1 | 9.2 | 8.9 | |
Company snapshot · Jackson Square Aviation · Data as of November 11, 2026 Jackson Square Aviation ranked fourteenth globally with 242 aircraft in the 2026 lessor ranking.[42]
| |||||||
| 9 | BOC Aviation Global aircraft operating leasing · SG | 8.2 | 8.5 | 7.0 | 8.2 | 8.9 | |
Company snapshot · BOC Aviation · Data as of November 11, 2026 BOC Aviation ended 2025 with 451 owned aircraft and a 337-aircraft orderbook.[25]
| |||||||
| 10 | BBAM Commercial aircraft leasing and asset management · US | 7.6 | 8.5 | 7.9 | 7.0 | 7.0 | |
Company snapshot · BBAM · Data as of November 11, 2026 BBAM reported a managed fleet of 560 aircraft leased to more than 100 airlines.[68]
| |||||||
How we score
- Impact (30%): scale and weight in the market (revenue, market share, employees, market position).
- Performance (20%): recent revenue growth and operating margin; an analyst assessment where a company does not publish them.
- Momentum (20%): growth trajectory and future potential.
- Innovation (15%): R&D intensity and how technologically advanced the company is.
Popularity (brand search demand, 15%) counts toward Overall but is not published as a column. Overall leaves out what is not known.
Scale Scores are shown on a 7–10 scale with one decimal; bars start at 7.0.
Cadence Recalculated when new figures are published; next review December 11, 2026.
Independence. Rankings are editorially independent. Scores, ranks, picks and the verdict follow the method above; no company can pay to change them.
Cite this ranking
APA
Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 11). Top 10 companies in the aircraft leasing industry. In Aircraft Leasing Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/aircraft-leasing-industry-statistics/#top-companies
Major aircraft leasing companies fleet size including owned, serviced and committed aircraft
AerCap leads with 2,074 aircraft.
03 Trends & forecasts
Top 10 Aircraft Leasing Industry Trends & Forecasts 2027
What is changing in the aircraft leasing industry, with the evidence behind each trend and a forecast for 2027.
Forecasts were generated by an AI model from the cited evidence. They are estimates, not guarantees.
01Leased fleets remain above half
High confidenceLeased aircraft represented 51.7% of the global passenger fleet in 2024, only modestly below 52.1% in 2023. The result shows that leasing remains central to airline fleet financing despite the recent small decline in penetration.[59]
Forecast 2027: Leased penetration is likely to remain close to 52% in 2027. Fleet growth should expand the absolute leasing market even if the percentage share stabilizes rather than rises sharply.
02Airline fleet demand keeps expanding
High confidenceBoeing’s 2026 Commercial Market Outlook expects passenger traffic to grow about 4% annually and the global commercial fleet to reach more than 50,000 aircraft by 2045. It forecasts about 44,000 new passenger-jet and freighter deliveries over the next two decades.[69]
Forecast 2027: Airline fleet expansion will continue to support leasing demand in 2027, particularly in emerging markets and among low-cost carriers. Lessors should see strong demand for capacity even where airline balance sheets remain cautious.
03Delivery delays sustain lessor leverage
High confidencePwC reported that direct manufacturer orders were fully placed through 2026, with 2027 inventory already almost 50% secured. Cirium’s 2026 forecast also states that production constraints are tempering the delivery outlook despite strong long-term demand.[57][23]
Forecast 2027: Aircraft availability will remain tight in 2027, although incremental production improvements should moderate the most acute shortages. Delivery-slot access and order-book management will remain major competitive advantages for large lessors.
04New-generation narrowbodies dominate demand
High confidenceAerCap reported that A320neo-family aircraft represented 37% of its owned passenger-aircraft net book value at December 31, 2025, up from 27% in 2021. Its 2025 order book included 161 A320neo-family aircraft, while the lessor also held orders for other new-technology types.[14]
Forecast 2027: Fuel-efficient narrowbodies will remain the most liquid leasing assets in 2027. Lessors are likely to prioritize A320neo-family and 737 MAX aircraft, with older narrowbodies increasingly directed toward secondary markets or retirement.
05Lease rates stay elevated
High confidenceSMBC Aviation Capital reported that lease rates were being supported by primary-market tightness and fewer lessors with significant backlogs. It also described increased pricing control and noted that 750 aircraft with leases attached transacted in 2025, more than double the 2021 level.[15]
Forecast 2027: Lease rates for new-generation aircraft should remain above pre-pandemic norms in 2027, though growth is likely to slow as deliveries improve. Older aircraft will show wider pricing dispersion based on maintenance status, engine availability and fuel efficiency.
06Engine scarcity broadens leasing demand
High confidenceAerCap reported more than 1,200 owned, managed and ordered engines at December 31, 2025, making it the world’s largest lessor of spare engines. The company also said approximately 1% of its owned aircraft were undergoing or designated for cargo conversion, illustrating the broader role of aviation-asset leasing beyond complete aircraft.[14]
Forecast 2027: Engine leasing and short-term engine support will remain a growth segment in 2027 as airlines manage shop-visit delays and aircraft-on-ground risks. Specialist engine lessors and integrated aircraft lessors should compete more actively for engine portfolios.
07Lessor utilization remains exceptionally high
High confidenceAerCap reported a 99% weighted-average utilization rate for its owned aircraft in 2025. It also said that 1,457 of its 1,501 owned aircraft were on lease at December 31, 2025.[13][14]
Forecast 2027: High utilization should continue in 2027, with limited idle time for fuel-efficient aircraft. The main downside risk is a sharper airline failure cycle, which could temporarily increase repossessions and transition costs for weaker asset types.
08Portfolio trading accelerates
High confidenceSMBC Aviation Capital reported 750 aircraft transactions with leases attached in 2025, more than double the number in 2021. It also said the average age of aircraft sold continued to decline, reaching just over 11 years in 2025.[15]
Forecast 2027: Portfolio trading will remain active in 2027 as lessors recycle capital, rebalance fleet age and monetize strong values for in-demand aircraft. Transactions should increasingly involve lease-attached aircraft rather than speculative post-delivery placements.
09Alternative funding gains importance
Medium confidenceBoeing’s 2026 Commercial Aircraft Finance Market Outlook shows lessor financing providing 26% of funding for its 2025 North American deliveries and 21% for widebody deliveries in the broader forecast. Industry commentary also identifies capital-markets and asset-backed financing as increasingly important sources of lessor liquidity.[69][22]
Forecast 2027: In 2027, lessors will continue diversifying beyond traditional bank debt through bonds, aviation ABS, private credit and joint ventures. Funding access will increasingly separate investment-grade platforms from smaller or highly leveraged lessors.
10Large platforms consolidate market share
Medium confidenceAerCap reported a portfolio of 3,500 aircraft, engines and helicopters that were owned, managed or on order at December 31, 2025. ISTAT reported that industry participants expected additional mergers and acquisitions among major aircraft and engine lessors, while noting that the sector is likely to contain fewer large platforms alongside specialized players.[14][22]
Forecast 2027: Consolidation should continue in 2027, but primarily through portfolio acquisitions, joint ventures and specialist-platform combinations rather than a wave of transformational mergers. Scale will remain valuable for funding, manufacturer access and remarketing.
04 Statistics
Technology & Innovation
Technology adoption in aviation asset servicing shows up as blockchain and tokenized structures, including a Hyperledger Fabric proof of concept for maintenance-reserve billing and $12.2 million of leased engine backing on Ethereum in 2026.
Digital Transformation in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)
- Across surveyed freight forwarders and logistics providers, 23% had digitized more than 75% of business processes or transactions in November 2024.[1]
- Among global logistics decision-makers, 63% expected digitalization to enhance customer experience in 2025.[2]
- Among global logistics decision-makers, 69% expected digitalization to improve efficiency in 2025.[2]
- Across surveyed freight forwarders and logistics providers, 49% had digitized 50% or fewer of business processes or transactions in November 2024.[1]
- Among global logistics decision-makers, 51% identified high costs as a challenge to digitalizing logistics operations in 2025.[2]
Technology Adoption in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)
- Across transportation and logistics organizations, 53% were partially or fully deploying automated real-time shipment tracking to address knowledge-worker shortages in 2024.[3]
- Across transportation and logistics organizations, 53% were partially or fully deploying AI to reduce workloads in 2024.[3]
- Across transportation and logistics executives surveyed in Europe and North America, 44% were using AI for transportation planning and optimization in 2025.[4]
- Among 2026 transportation-management survey respondents, 15% of logistics service providers reported using AI at scale.[3]
- Among 2026 transportation-management survey respondents, 19% of shippers reported using AI at scale.[3]
Cloud Computing in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)
- Across travel, transportation and logistics companies surveyed globally, 84% had increased AI and machine-learning investment during the preceding one to two years.[5]
- Across travel, transportation and logistics companies surveyed globally, 85% said leadership viewed cloud as a long-term investment in 2023.[5]
- Across travel, transportation and logistics companies surveyed globally, 89% planned to increase AI and machine-learning investment during the following one to two years.[5]
- Across travel, transportation and logistics companies surveyed globally, 75% said cloud was crucial to their organization’s future in 2023.[5]
Big Data in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)
- 45% of surveyed multinational logistics and supply-chain organizations said in 2024 that they were using logistics data to its full potential, according to a survey of 60 organizations.[6]
- 12.5% of transportation and storage enterprises used both cloud computing and big-data analytics, according to the OECD’s 2026 sectoral comparison of enterprise technology adoption.[7]
- 38% of surveyed GCC logistics organizations used structured data, while 20% recognized a systematic link between data and business insights, according to a 2023 study.[8]
- 9.5% of transportation and storage enterprises used big-data analytics alone in the OECD’s 2026 cross-sector comparison, based on the latest available enterprise data.[7]
- Among global logistics decision-makers, 34% identified data analytics, including cloud platforms and AI-powered solutions, as the most critical technology in 2025.[2]
- Among global logistics decision-makers, 49% expected digitalization to improve data visibility in 2025.[2]
Blockchain in the aircraft leasing industry
IoT in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)
- 48% of transport-sector respondents had adopted vehicular tracking and route optimization in 2024, according to Viasat’s State of IoT survey.[11]
- Among global logistics decision-makers, 23% identified IoT as the most critical technology in 2025.[2]
- 39% of transport-sector respondents had deployed shipment or supply-chain tracking in 2024, compared with 20% that had deployed cold-chain tracking.[11]
- 53% of surveyed supply-chain professionals were using IoT devices for real-time shipment tracking in 2024, up from 25% in 2023.[12]
- Among logistics organizations surveyed across multiple countries, 63% of companies in Belgium and the Netherlands used real-time tracking in 2024.[3]
- 88% of surveyed transport respondents had developed or were developing an IoT strategy in 2024, up from 46% with a completed formal strategy in 2021.[11]
Innovation in the aircraft leasing industry
05 Statistics
Data & Analytics
Data model scope expanded in AerCap reporting by adding engines and helicopters to Scope 3 emissions calculations for the first time in 2024, alongside an emissions methodology multiplier of 1.7 for non-CO2 effects.
Data analytics in the aircraft leasing industry
- 2 aircraft categories—engines and helicopters—were added to AerCap’s Scope 3 emissions calculations for the first time in its 2024 reporting.[14]
- 1.7 was the multiplier AerCap cited for estimating non-CO2 effects from combustion of Jet A1 kerosene in its 2024 emissions methodology.[14]
- 50% is the maximum sustainable aviation fuel blend that SMBC Aviation Capital states its aircraft can operate with in its emissions calculations.[15]
Data Quality in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)
- Across transportation and logistics shippers, 33% identified data quality as a top barrier to scaling artificial intelligence in 2026.[3]
- Across supply management organizations, 67% said their data quality was better or significantly better than two years earlier in 2024.[16]
- Across supply management organizations, 33% rated their data-security ability as very high for assuring data quality in 2024.[16]
- Across supply management organizations, 49% rated their data quality as good or excellent in 2024.[16]
Data Governance in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)
- Across supply management organizations with a data-governance program, 81% found the program useful in 2024.[16]
- Across supply management organizations, 61% had a dedicated data-governance function in 2024.[16]
- Across supply management organizations with a data-governance function, 47% housed it in a center of excellence in 2024.[16]
- 32% of transport and logistics respondents said data governance or security was a primary challenge when preparing data for artificial intelligence in 2024.[17]
- 39% of 3PL respondents said their supply chain governance maturity was running in place, with no noticeable progress, in the 2024 global survey.[18]
- 42.8% of airlines surveyed worldwide considered themselves to be in the early stages of data-strategy implementation in the IATA 2024 survey.[19]
06 Statistics
Strategy & Growth
Portfolio throughput and utilization are documented with operating-performance metrics such as AerCap’s 99% weighted-average utilization rate for owned aircraft in 2024 and Air Lease Corporation’s 7.4% fleet net book value increase to $28.2 billion.
Growth in the aircraft leasing industry
- Air Lease Corporation’s fleet net book value increased 7.4% to $28.2 billion between December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2024.[20]
- AerCap owned 1,543 aircraft, managed 179 aircraft and had 296 aircraft on order at December 31, 2024.[14]
- Aviation Capital Group reported that lessors managed more than 14,000 aircraft with a market value of $450 billion in 2025.[21]
- The aircraft-leasing sector helped expand the global fleet by a factor of six over the 50 years to 2025, according to Aviation Capital Group.[21]
Differentiation in the aircraft leasing industry
- AerCap’s owned aircraft had a weighted-average utilization rate of 99% in 2024, a key operating-performance differentiator among large lessors.[14]
- 75% of AerCap’s aircraft were new-technology aircraft in 2024, according to its sustainability metrics.[14]
- Air Lease Corporation’s owned fleet had a weighted-average age of 4.6 years and a weighted-average remaining lease term of 7.2 years at December 31, 2024.[20]
Mergers and acquisitions in the aircraft leasing industry
- AerCap’s 2021 acquisition of GE Capital Aviation Services was described as one of the two largest transactions in aviation-leasing history.[14]
- 39% of ISTAT conference attendees expected at least two additional mergers or acquisitions among major aircraft and engine lessors in 2026.[22]
- AviLease became the only lessor to exceed 100 jets after its 2023 acquisition of Standard Chartered’s aircraft-leasing business, according to Cirium.[23]
- AerCap’s 2024 portfolio included 3,525 aircraft, engines and helicopters owned, on order or managed after its major acquisitions of ILFC and GECAS.[14]
- A 2026 transaction involving Air Lease Corporation’s orderbook transferred approximately 420 Airbus and Boeing aircraft to SMBC Aviation Capital.[24]
Strategic partnerships in the aircraft leasing industry
- AerCap had servicing contracts with 19 third parties owning 148 aircraft and 192 engines at December 31, 2025, supporting partnership-based asset management.[14]
- Aviation Capital Group reported that lessors managed aircraft worth $450 billion in 2025, reflecting the capital scale available through lessor-investor relationships.[21]
07 Statistics
People & Workforce
Workforce reporting provides operating context, including 204 employees across five offices and 20 nationalities supporting BOC Aviation’s aircraft-leasing operations at end of 2024.
Hiring in the aircraft leasing industry
Remote Work in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)
- Across U.S. transportation and utilities, 20.3% of workers could work from home in 2024–2025, while 18.6% actually did so, according to annual averages.[26]
- Across U.S. transportation and utilities occupations, about 11% of workers worked remotely at least sometimes from October 2023 through September 2024.[27]
- Among U.S. transportation, logistics, supply-chain and storage hires, 17.0% of hires at small companies were remote during the year ending September 2024.[28]
- In the U.S. transportation and warehousing industry, 13.9% of wage and salary employees worked from home in January 2025.[29]
Hybrid Work in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)
- Among U.S. remote-capable employees, 54% worked hybrid schedules in August 2026.[30]
- Across transportation and logistics companies surveyed globally, 42% reported a hybrid work arrangement in 2025.[31]
- Globally, 25% of engaged employees were working in hybrid arrangements in 2025, compared with 30% of exclusively remote employees and 17% of on-site, non-remote-capable employees.[30]
- Among transportation employers surveyed for the U.S. Job Outlook, 33.3% reported fully hybrid work arrangements in 2024.[32]
Employee Engagement in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)
- Globally, 20% of employees were engaged at work in 2025, while 16% were actively disengaged.[30]
- In U.S. logistics, more than 60% of frontline workers considered their roles long-term career commitments in 2024.[33]
- In U.S. logistics, 71% of frontline workers reported workplace stress in 2024.[33]
- In U.S. logistics, 40% of frontline workers wanted to quit in 2024, according to a survey of 500 logistics employees.[33]
- Across Asia-Pacific transport and logistics organizations, 62% of employees were actively engaged, based on feedback from 30,116 employees in 24 surveys.[34]
DEI in the aircraft leasing industry
- 49% of BOC Aviation’s 204 employees were women at December 31, 2024, exceeding the company’s stated minimum target of 45% female workforce representation.[25]
- 20% of BOC Aviation’s management team, including senior management and department heads, were women at December 31, 2024.[25]
- 80% of BOC Aviation’s workforce was based in Singapore in 2024, with 4% in China, 6% in Ireland, 6% in the United Kingdom and 4% in the United States.[25]
- 21% of BOC Aviation employees were below age 35, 44% were aged 35–45, 29% were aged 46–55 and 6% were above 55 in 2024.[25]
Change Management in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)
- Among shippers using a change-management approach, 44% reported using one of the named frameworks surveyed in 2025.[35]
- Among third-party logistics providers using a change-management approach, 33% reported using one of the named frameworks surveyed in 2025.[35]
- Among surveyed shippers, 58% reported using a structured change-management framework in the 2025 Third-Party Logistics Study.[35]
- Across large logistics organizations, 76% of transformation initiatives failed to meet critical budget, timeline or KPI metrics in a global survey conducted in late 2023.[36]
- Across supply-chain organizations, only 15% of digital initiatives achieved at least 90% of their targeted benefits in Gartner research published in 2024.[36]
08 Statistics
Customer & Sales
Renewal cycles appear in 2026 maturities, with AerCap reporting 54 of 68 aircraft with leases expiring in 2026 had been re-leased, extended, designated for sale or part-out, or sold by February 6, 2026.
Customer retention in the aircraft leasing industry
- 54 of 68 aircraft with leases expiring in 2026 had been re-leased, extended, designated for sale or part-out, or sold by February 6, 2026, according to AerCap.[13]
- Nearly all of Air Lease Corporation’s leases maturing in 2024 were being extended, according to management’s fourth-quarter 2024 commentary.[13]
- Scheduled lease expirations through the end of 2027 represented less than 7% of AerCap’s aggregate fleet net book value at December 31, 2025.[13]
09 Statistics
Marketing & Brand
Brand performance is tracked via engagement metrics, with Atlas Air reporting a 159.1% increase in total social-media engagements in 2025.
Influencer Marketing in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)
- 29% of B2B companies planned to adopt influencer marketing within the following year in 2025, globally.[38]
- 58% of B2B marketers selected authenticity and credibility as criteria for choosing influencers in 2025, globally.[38]
- 53% of U.S. B2B marketers reported a growing dedicated influencer-marketing budget in 2024 survey data.[39]
- 43% of worldwide B2B marketers who achieved positive results said micro-influencers generated the most success in 2024.[39]
- 55% of B2B companies used influencers in 2025, according to a global survey of marketing decision-makers.[38]
10 Statistics
Operations & Execution
Execution volume and utilization stay measurable, including BOC Aviation’s 260 aircraft-leasing transactions executed in 2024 and AerCap’s 99% weighted-average utilization rate for owned aircraft in 2024.
Process optimization in the aircraft leasing industry
- 260 aircraft-leasing transactions were executed by BOC Aviation in 2024, including purchases, deliveries, sales and lease commitments.[25]
- 48 aircraft were covered by new lease agreements or letters of intent signed by CALC during 2024.[40]
- 65 aircraft were purchased by Air Lease Corporation in 2024, while 39 aircraft were sold during the year.[13]
- 118 lease commitments were executed by BOC Aviation during 2024.[25]
Operational efficiency in the aircraft leasing industry
- 99% was AerCap’s weighted-average utilization rate for owned aircraft in 2024.[14]
- 100.0% was Air Lease Corporation’s lease-utilization rate for its owned fleet in 2024.[13]
- 100% was CALC’s owned-fleet utilization rate in 2024, excluding one aircraft involving a Russian airline.[40]
- More than 99% was BOC Aviation’s owned-aircraft utilization rate for 2024.[25]
- 99.2% was Aircastle’s weighted-average fleet-utilization rate for the year ended February 28, 2025.[13]
Quality management in the aircraft leasing industry
- 7.2 years was Air Lease Corporation’s weighted-average remaining lease term at December 31, 2024.[13]
- 7.9 years was BOC Aviation’s average remaining lease term for its owned fleet at December 31, 2024.[25]
- 4.6 years was Air Lease Corporation’s weighted-average fleet age at December 31, 2024.[13]
- 5.0 years was BOC Aviation’s average aircraft age for its owned fleet at December 31, 2024.[25]
Supply chain in the aircraft leasing industry
- 232 aircraft comprised BOC Aviation’s order book at December 31, 2024.[25]
- 324 new aircraft were under AerCap purchase commitments for delivery through 2029 at September 30, 2024.[14]
- $11 billion was the estimated cost of aviation supply-chain disruption in 2025, according to IATA and Oliver Wyman.[19]
- 269 aircraft were under Air Lease Corporation purchase commitments from Airbus and Boeing for delivery through 2029 at December 31, 2024.[13]
Outsourcing / Offshoring in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)
- Across surveyed logistics companies in Germany, the rest of Europe and Latin America, about 60% had fully outsourced transportation services in 2026.[41]
- Across surveyed logistics companies in Germany, the rest of Europe and Latin America, 25% had fully outsourced warehouse operations in 2026.[41]
- Across surveyed logistics companies in Germany, the rest of Europe and Latin America, 65% expected outsourcing to continue increasing in 2026.[41]
- Across surveyed logistics companies in Germany, the rest of Europe and Latin America, 57% planned outsourcing projects in warehousing in 2026.[41]
11 Statistics
Finance & Pricing
Pricing pressure shows up as higher lease rates, including a reported increase of $100,000 per month for some used aircraft and $306,000 versus about $400,000 for an A320neo aircraft lease versus two engines in January 2025 comparison.
Pricing strategy in the aircraft leasing industry
- $100,000 per month was the reported increase in lease rates for some used aircraft, bringing monthly rents into the mid-$200,000 range in 2025.[42]
- 100% was the increase in base lease rates for some aircraft types since the beginning of 2022, according to Avolon.[42]
- 30%–50% was the reported increase in aircraft lease rates during 2025 compared with two or three years earlier.[42]
- $400,000 per month was the cited lease-rate level for new Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in 2024.[42]
- 10.3% was BOC Aviation’s reported lease-rate factor in 2025, up from 10.0% in 2024.[43]
Cost reduction in the aircraft leasing industry
- 40% was the approximate share of aircraft-lessor operating expenses attributed to travel costs in MBA Aviation’s industry financial-statement review.[44]
- $100.1 million was the decrease in Air Lease Corporation’s end-of-lease revenue in 2024 compared with the prior year, reflecting fewer aircraft returns.[13]
- 30% was the estimated movement in average aircraft-lessor operating costs associated with a significant slowdown in travel, according to MBA Aviation.[44]
Profitability in the aircraft leasing industry
- $28.2 billion was Air Lease Corporation’s fleet net book value at December 31, 2024.[13]
- 7.4% was the increase in Air Lease Corporation’s fleet net book value during 2024, reaching $28.2 billion at year-end.[13]
- $169.7 million was Air Lease Corporation’s gain from aircraft sales in 2024, compared with $146.4 million in 2023.[13]
- $2.7 billion was Air Lease Corporation’s total revenue in 2024, an increase of 1.8% from 2023.[13]
Financial planning in the aircraft leasing industry
- $29.5 billion was Air Lease Corporation’s committed minimum future rental payments at December 31, 2024.[13]
- $17.1 billion was Air Lease Corporation’s estimated aggregate commitment for 269 aircraft deliveries through 2029 at December 31, 2024.[13]
- 100% of Air Lease Corporation’s expected orderbook deliveries through the end of 2026 had been placed on long-term leases at December 31, 2024.[13]
- 62% was the share of Air Lease Corporation’s entire aircraft order book placed on lease commitments at December 31, 2024.[13]
- $5 billion was the amount of funding raised by BOC Aviation during 2024.[25]
12 Statistics
Product & Service
Service models cover owned assets, managed fleets and aftermarket support, including over 1 million parts held in inventory by CALC’s China Aviation Aftermarket business.
Product development in the aircraft leasing industry
- 269 aircraft were on order from Airbus and Boeing for delivery through 2029 at Air Lease Corporation as of December 31, 2024.[13]
- Approximately 85% of AerCap’s combined aircraft, engine and helicopter fleet is targeted to comprise new-technology assets by 2030.[14]
- 100% of Air Lease Corporation’s expected orderbook deliveries through the end of 2026 were placed on long-term leases as of December 31, 2024.[20]
- 65 new aircraft were purchased from Airbus and Boeing by Air Lease Corporation in 2024, supporting fleet expansion and product development in the lessor’s portfolio.[20]
Product lifecycle in the aircraft leasing industry
- 4.6 years was Air Lease Corporation’s weighted-average fleet age at December 31, 2024, while the weighted-average remaining lease term was 7.2 years.[20]
- 489 aircraft were in Air Lease Corporation’s owned fleet and 60 aircraft were in its managed fleet at December 31, 2024.[13]
- Over 1 million parts were held in inventory by CALC’s China Aviation Aftermarket business to support aircraft recycling, MRO and component supply.[45]
- 176 aircraft were in CALC’s owned and managed fleet, with a 130-aircraft committed orderbook, as of June 30, 2026.[45]
After-sales in the aircraft leasing industry
- 13 AerCap aircraft were off-lease and under commitment for re-lease at December 31, 2024.[14]
- 39 aircraft were sold by Air Lease Corporation during 2024, generating $169.7 million in gains from aircraft sales.[20]
- 60 aircraft were managed by Air Lease Corporation at December 31, 2024, providing asset-management services beyond its owned fleet.[20]
- 2 aircraft-recycling and remanufacturing bases operated by CALC support aircraft sales, engine solutions, airframe and MRO services, components supply and stub-life leases.[45]
Value proposition in the aircraft leasing industry
- 100.0% was Air Lease Corporation’s lease utilization rate for 2024.[20]
- 116 airlines in 58 countries formed Air Lease Corporation’s globally diversified customer base at December 31, 2024.[20]
- Approximately 500 owned, managed and committed aircraft were held by Aviation Capital Group at December 31, 2024, leased to roughly 85 airlines in approximately 45 countries.[21]
- 40 airline lessees across 20 countries and regions comprised CALC’s global clientele as of June 30, 2026.[45]
13 Statistics
Sustainability & Ethics
Emissions accounting is quantified, including AerCap’s fleet Scope 3 emissions of 46.2 million tonnes in 2024 and an emissions intensity of 70.36 grams of CO2 per available seat kilometre.
Sustainability in the aircraft leasing industry
- $60 billion was invested by AerCap in new-technology aircraft, engines and helicopters since 2015 to improve customer-fleet fuel efficiency.[14]
- 75% of AerCap’s aircraft fleet consisted of new-technology aircraft in 2024.[14]
- 16,241,114 tonnes of CO2 were SMBC Aviation Capital’s estimated owned-aircraft downstream leased-asset emissions for the year ended March 31, 2024.[15]
- 70.36 grams of CO2 per available seat kilometre was AerCap’s aircraft-fleet emissions intensity in 2024.[14]
ESG in the aircraft leasing industry
- $500 million was the maximum size of CALC’s sustainability-linked aircraft pre-delivery-payment syndicated loan launched in 2023.[45]
- 16 was Avolon’s Sustainalytics ESG Risk rating score, categorized as Low Risk.[46]
- 10 ESG actions formed Aviation Capital Group’s structured ESG Action Plan introduced in 2024.[21]
- 4 times was the number of meetings held by AerCap’s Board-level ESG Committee during 2024.[13]
Circular economy in the aircraft leasing industry
- 4 aircraft were dismantled by CALC’s FL ARI business in 2025, including one A330, two B737NGs and one ERJ-145.[47]
- 2 aircraft recycling and remanufacturing bases were operated by CALC in Memphis, United States, and Harbin, China.[45]
- Over 1 million parts were held by CALC’s aftermarket business to support component reuse and distribution across aircraft models.[45]
- 3 new clients joined CALC’s FL ARI aircraft-dismantling portfolio in 2025.[47]
Carbon footprint in the aircraft leasing industry
- 52.8 million tonnes of CO2 represented AerCap’s total Scope 3 emissions in 2024 after including aircraft, engines, helicopters and business travel.[14]
- 16,241,114 tonnes of CO2 were SMBC Aviation Capital’s owned-aircraft downstream leased-asset emissions for the year ended March 31, 2024.[15]
- 46.2 million tonnes of CO2 were AerCap’s aircraft-fleet Scope 3 emissions in 2024.[14]
- 70.36 grams of CO2 per available seat kilometre was AerCap’s aircraft-fleet emissions intensity in 2024, down from 71.69 grams in 2023.[14]
14 Statistics
Risk, Compliance & Legal
Regulatory and compliance activity is paired with risk readiness and cyber considerations, including Malta’s proposed rules in July 2026 for notified aircraft financial leasing companies and related due-diligence service providers.
Compliance in the aircraft leasing industry
- 22 aircraft in AerCap’s owned portfolio were off-lease at December 31, 2024, reflecting regulatory, contractual and operational compliance requirements during remarketing.[14]
- 1% of AerCap’s owned aircraft were undergoing or designated for cargo conversion in 2024, affecting utilization reporting for the global lessor.[14]
Risk Management in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)
- Among global logistics decision-makers at consumer brands, 60% were already using artificial intelligence extensively for risk management in 2025.[48]
- Among global logistics decision-makers at consumer brands, 59% identified building risk-management frameworks as a strategic priority in 2025.[48]
- Across global transportation and logistics companies, 75% had moved away from purely reactive risk strategies by 2026, according to a survey of 331 transportation leaders.[49]
- Across 400 global transportation and logistics decision-makers, 57% ranked infrastructure investment among their biggest opportunities for the next two years in 2024.[50]
- Across global transportation and logistics companies, 90% reported having robust risk-management frameworks in 2026, according to a survey of 331 transportation leaders.[49]
Cybersecurity in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)
- Among global transportation executives, 69% said cyber resilience remained primarily the responsibility of cybersecurity teams rather than an enterprise-wide priority in 2024.[51]
- Among global transportation executives, 70% identified digital transformation as a barrier to cybersecurity resilience in 2024.[51]
- Among Florida transportation and logistics organizations, 40% had an incident-response plan for ransomware readiness in 2024.[52]
- Among global transportation executives, 53% said cybersecurity was included in broader corporate strategy discussions in 2024.[51]
- Among global transportation organizations, 73% reported that cybersecurity budgets were reactive rather than proactive in 2024.[51]
Data Privacy in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)
- Among transportation shippers surveyed in the United States, 18% did not share data with external partners in 2024, partly because of privacy and security concerns.[18]
- Among transportation shippers surveyed in the United States, 36% cited privacy concerns as an obstacle to sharing data with external logistics partners in 2024.[18]
- Among European freight and transport organizations, 16% identified data privacy as a concern when exchanging information in 2024.[53]
- Among third-party logistics providers surveyed in the United States, 13% did not share data with external partners in 2024, partly because of privacy and security concerns.[18]
- Among European freight and transport organizations, 18% identified data security as a concern when exchanging information in 2024.[53]
Crisis Management in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)
- Among transportation and logistics organizations surveyed globally during the COVID-19 crisis, 69% reported that their business had been affected in 2020.[54]
- Among transportation and logistics organizations surveyed globally during the COVID-19 crisis, 40% had a pandemic plan before the crisis in 2020.[54]
- Among transportation and logistics organizations surveyed globally during the COVID-19 crisis, 43% believed additional crisis planning would have added value in 2020.[54]
- Among large companies globally, 82% reported having business continuity plans in 2025, while nearly 40% had never tested them.[55]
- Among shippers surveyed in the 3PL market, 13% identified risk management and contingency planning as a major challenge in 2024.[56]
15 Statistics
Globalization & Expansion
Cross-border deployment is documented with 95% of Air Lease Corporation’s aircraft operated internationally at December 31, 2024, alongside lessors managing more than 14,000 aircraft with a market value of $450 billion in 2025.
Globalization in the aircraft leasing industry
- 58% of the world commercial aircraft fleet was leased at the end of 2023, up from roughly 10% in the 1970s, according to IATA and Cirium.[19]
- 70% of commercial aircraft were leased in Europe, Latin America and Asia-Pacific at the end of 2023, compared with about 40% in North America.[19]
- 95% of Air Lease Corporation’s aircraft were operated internationally at December 31, 2024.[20]
- 51% of the world fleet was managed by lessors by aircraft count in 2025, representing more than 14,000 aircraft globally.[21]
Supplier management in the aircraft leasing industry
- 50% of COMAC’s aircraft backlog was held by lessors at the end of 2024, compared with 15% for Airbus and 13% for Boeing.[57]
- Lessors represented 17% of Airbus and Boeing aircraft on order at the end of 2024, equal to a backlog of approximately 2,900 aircraft.[57]
- Aviation Capital Group managed more than 14,000 aircraft across the aircraft-leasing sector in 2025, illustrating the scale of lessor-manufacturer and lessor-service-provider relationships.[21]
- Lessors accounted for 12% of the 224 Western jet orders booked with Airbus and Boeing in 2024, according to PwC’s aviation review.[57]
Stakeholder management in the aircraft leasing industry
- AerCap had asset-management servicing contracts with 19 parties owning 148 aircraft and 192 engines at December 31, 2025.[14]
- AerCap’s five largest airline customers generated 19.3% of its 2024 lease revenue, with American Airlines the largest at 6.0%.[14]
- AerCap executed 812 aviation-asset transactions in 2024, involving aircraft, engines and helicopters across its global customer and financing network.[14]
Distribution channels in the aircraft leasing industry
- AerCap completed 41 purchase transactions for 27 aircraft, 10 engines and 4 helicopters in 2024, using asset acquisition as one channel for portfolio deployment.[14]
- Air Lease Corporation’s 2024 fleet consisted of 489 owned aircraft and 60 managed aircraft, showing the scale of owned and third-party management channels.[20]
- AerCap’s 2024 acquisition strategy included owned, managed and on-order assets totaling 3,525 aircraft, engines and helicopters at year-end.[14]
Key questions about the aircraft leasing industry
How big is the global aircraft leasing market in 2026?
What growth path is expected for the market after 2026?
Which companies lead the aircraft leasing industry?
What technology shifts show up across aviation leasing-related data initiatives?
How concentrated is the leasing market structure among large lessors?
What does leasing concentration look like in the passenger fleet?
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 11). Aircraft Leasing Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/aircraft-leasing-industry-statistics
Samuel Norberg. "Aircraft Leasing Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 11 Nov 2026, https://gitnux.org/aircraft-leasing-industry-statistics.
Samuel Norberg. 2026. "Aircraft Leasing Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/aircraft-leasing-industry-statistics.
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Social media in the aircraft leasing industry