Kuwaiti lessor ALAFCO considers future as it sells 23 more jets to Macquarie

Macquarie Airfinance is to take another 23 aircraft, including five widebodies, from ALAFCO’s portfolio, bringing the total it is acquiring from the Kuwaiti lessor to 76. ALAFCO had approved the sale – worth $1.115b – during an annual general meeting on 19 February. The package includes four Boeing 777s and an Airbus A350, plus 14 A320neos, two older A320s, and a pair of Boeing 737s. Macquarie says the aircraft are leased to 10 airlines. It had previously agreed to purchase 53 aircraft from ALAFCO as well as a batch of 20 737 Max jets that the lessor had on order – a transaction valued at $2.2b. Macquarie states that the additional package will “help facilitate the transition of [our] fleet to newer technology” and provide more efficient aircraft to customers. “The aviation sector’s strong recovery has continued, with domestic and international travel rebounding from pandemic lows in key markets,” says CE Eamonn Bane. “As we prepare for the future, the addition of these aircraft to our portfolio further enhances the scale and age of our fleet.”<br/>