Particle.news

Dubai Aerospace and Blackstone Launch ‘Equator’ Aircraft-Leasing Program

The pact channels flexible institutional capital into aircraft assets to support steady fleet financing.

Overview

  • Dubai Aerospace and Blackstone Credit & Insurance announced a long‑term partnership called Equator to invest in leased commercial jets with about $1.6 billion targeted each year.
  • Dubai Aerospace will source aircraft from third parties and manage the planes through its investor services platform for the program.
  • Blackstone Credit & Insurance will provide an integrated set of financing tools so Equator can buy aircraft and keep deploying capital through market cycles.
  • Blackstone’s investor group will include commitments from funds managed by ITE Management, which partners with the firm on credit investments.
  • The venture draws on Dubai Aerospace’s roughly 700‑aircraft platform and Blackstone’s more than $100 billion in asset‑ and infrastructure‑backed credit to expand leasing options for airlines worldwide.