Signing of Agreement for the Acquisition of Macquarie Rotorcraft Limited
10th March, 2025 - Sumitomo Mitsui Finance & Leasing Co., Ltd. (President & CEO: Masaki Tachibana, hereinafter referred to as "SMFL") and LCI Investment Limited (CEO: Jaspal Jandu, hereinafter referred to as “LCI”) are pleased to announce that their joint venture helicopter leasing company, SMFL LCI Helicopters Limited ("SMFLH") has entered into an agreement to acquire Macquarie Rotorcraft Limited ("MRL"), Macquarie Asset Management’s helicopter leasing business. The details of the transaction are commercial in confidence.
Established in 2013, MRL is a global helicopter leasing company with a fleet of about120 leased aircraft that operate in offshore transportation, emergency medical services, search and rescue and utility markets. SMFLH and LCI will increase the number of aircraft owned, managed, and on order to approximately 310 aircraft, and will pursue further expansion of its customer base and synergies with its existing businesses. The newly combined business will be managed by LCI.
SMFL and LCI, an aerospace subsidiary of Libra Group, established a joint venture company SMFLH for helicopter operating leasing in 2020. Subsequently, in 2023, SMFL acquired a 35% stake in LCI, and have achieved steady growth.
Through this acquisition, we aim to further expand our business and customer bases and establish a strong position in the helicopter leasing industry, where demand is expected to grow.