Mitsubishi aircraft leasing base for Dublin

Aircraft leasing: Japanese company Mitsubishi is to establish an aircraft leasing base in Dublin, already one of the biggest…

Aircraft leasing:Japanese company Mitsubishi is to establish an aircraft leasing base in Dublin, already one of the biggest hubs in the world for this activity.

MUL Aviation Capital is a subsidiary of Mitsubishi UFJ Lease Finance Company, which leases aircraft to a range of operators. It will create about half a dozen high-end jobs here initially. Its airline clients include AirBerlin, China Southern, Norwegian, Qantas, Southwest Airlines, and Turkish Airlines.

The new Dublin subsidiary will focus primarily on acquiring and leasing narrow-body aircraft.

Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar has welcomed the investment. He said he was “exploring” ways to make Ireland an “even more attractive location” for aviation financing.

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Nine of the top 10 aircraft leasing companies have bases in Ireland. More than 3,000 aircraft, valued at €83 billion, are leased out of Dublin, and the sector contributes about €300 million in corporation tax to the exchequer each year.

The sector supports about 2,000 jobs in Ireland, with more than half earning more than €100,000 a year.

Ciarán Hancock

Ciarán Hancock

Ciarán Hancock is Business Editor of The Irish Times