By Hadeel Al Sayegh
April 9 (Reuters) – Dubai Aerospace Enterprise and Blackstone Credit and Insurance have agreed to launch a joint aircraft leasing investment programme targeting annual deployment of approximately $1.6 billion, the companies said on Thursday.
The programme, branded Equator, will build a portfolio of commercial aircraft on lease to airlines globally, they said in a statement. DAE will source aircraft from third parties, while its Aircraft Investor Services unit will manage the assets.
The deal marks the latest expansion of alternative asset managers into aviation finance, a sector that has attracted growing institutional interest as aircraft supply constraints push lease rates higher.
Blackstone Credit and Insurance’s Infrastructure and Asset Based Credit Group manages more than $100 billion. The investor group for Equator will include capital from funds managed by ITE Management, a strategic partner of Blackstone Credit and Insurance.
DAE operates a fleet of approximately 700 aircraft, including more than 100 valued at over $4 billion under third-party management as end-2025, according to the statement. The company acts as servicer in seventeen management agreements for institutional and financial investors.
(Reporting by Hadeel Al Sayegh in Dubai)
