Dubai Aerospace Enterprise is pushing to become a top-tier global aircraft lessor while expanding its airframe MRO business, with chief executive Firoz Tarapore outlining a fleet strategy built around scale, narrowbody dominance and selective widebody positions. The Dubai-based company’s leasing arm accounts for about 85% of the business, while engineering and maintenance make up the balance, and its fleet is set to rise from roughly 700 aircraft to more than 1,000 after the Macquarie AirFinance transaction closes.
Tarapore placed the expansion in the context of an acquisition-led growth strategy, following last year’s purchase of Nordic Aviation Capital and the pending Macquarie deal. DAE’s aircraft reach spans about 80 to 85 countries, and on current plans it would rank around third by fleet size once the transaction is completed, although Tarapore ruled out chasing a ranking for its own sake.
The lessor’s portfolio centres on narrowbodies, one Boeing widebody type, one Airbus widebody type, plus specialist exposure in the ATR 72-600 and Boeing 777 freighter markets. The engineering division is expected to grow alongside leasing as a complementary platform rather than through a separate deal.