Dubai's DAE leases 10 Boeing 737-8s to Türkiye low-cost carrier AJet

Dubai: Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) - an Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD) company - has signed long-term lease agreements with AJet and Turkish Airlines for 10 new Boeing 737-8 aircraft, set to deliver in 2026 and 2027, as Türkiye's aviation sector surges with 5.7 per cent growth in flight movements in the first half of 2025.​

According to Türkiye’s Ministry of Transport, the deal underscores DAE's deepening ties with its long-time customer Turkish Airlines, providing cutting-edge, fuel-efficient planes to meet AJet's fleet needs in one of Europe's fastest-expanding markets.

Firoz Tarapore, Chief Executive Officer of DAE, said: “We are delighted to be chosen by long-time customer Turkish Airlines to provide them a solution to AJet’s growing fleet requirements with these new technology, fuel efficient aircraft.”

He added, “Türkiye is a fast-growing market, with flight movements increasing 5.7 per cent in the first half of 2025..”​

The Dubai-headquartered DAE now owns, manages, and is committed to owning 236 Boeing aircraft, including 119 from the 737 MAX family.

The agreements align with DAE's strategy to equip airlines with efficient narrow-body jets amid rising demand, building on recent deals like those with Hainan Airlines and Eastar Jet for similar Boeing models.

Through its DAE Capital division, the firm oversees a fleet worth US$23 billion across over 200 customers in 80 countries.​

For the first nine months of 2025, DAE reported a sharp rise in earnings driven by strong leasing demand, expanded maintenance capacity and the integration of aircraft lessor Nordic Aviation Capital (NAC), which it acquired earlier this year.

DAE said its profit before tax surged 100 per cent to $653 million for the nine-month period ended September 30, compared with $326.6 million a year earlier. Total revenue climbed to $1.28 billion from $1.02 billion.