Mergers make way for IPOs in jet leasing

[TOULOUSE] AerCap Holdings's US$5 billion deal last month to buy International Lease Finance Corp (ILFC) caps a merger trend in the industry and may pave the way for a shift to initial public offerings, according to the man behind the move.

Aircraft leasing companies including private-equity-owned AWAS Aviation Capital and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group of Japan, which paid US$7.3 billion for Royal Bank of Scotland Group's aviation division in 2012, are among those likely to be considering share sales, AerCap chief executive officer Aengus Kelly said on Wednesday.

"I'm sure they're looking at the IPO market," Mr Kelly said. "If you own one of those businesses you can control how much you sell, so you can cash in some chips, but still maintain the earnings power of the platform. I don't think you'll see a lot more consolidation, it's hard to do."