Ascend Consultancy has highlighted a narrowing lease-rate gap between Airbus A321ceos and A320ceos, following a recent review. In a LinkedIn post, the consultancy notes that A321ceo lease rates fell 6-8%, their first decline since the post-Covid recovery began. A320ceo lease rates have meanwhile held steady. As result, "the gap between A320 and A321 lease rates has narrowed significantly" for aircraft of certain vintages, particularly those aged 8-12 years, adds the consultancy. "This trend may indicate challenges in remarketing larger single-aisle aircraft, especially to tier-two and -three airlines, for whom these aircraft may be too large," it writes. Values have meanwhile remained broadly stable, with some increases of 3-6%, driven by higher part-out values.

Novus Aviation Capital has agreed to finance two Airbus A350-900s with Ethiopian Airlines. The deal was agreed during the Dubai air show, says the locally based lessor. Fleets data indicates that these will be the only aircraft Novus has leased to the African carrier. The lessor's portfolio includes one A350-900, on lease to Singapore Airlines.

Lufthansa and Air France-KLM have formally expressed interest in acquiring a minority stake in TAP Air Portugal as part of the carrier's ongoing privatisation process. A formal letter has been submitted by Lufthansa to Portuguese state holding company Parpublica, outlining plans for a long-term partnership aimed at safeguarding TAP’s future as national airline, says the German group. Chief executive Carsten Spohr states that Lufthansa intends to "strengthen Portugal's global connectivity, preserve TAP's Portuguese identity, and ensure sustainable growth". SkyTeam member Air France-KLM, for its part, says it submitted an expression of interest to Parpublica on 18 November, ahead of the 22 November deadline, seeking to participate in TAP's privatisation process. This demonstrates the "strong interest of Air France-KLM in this process", says the group, adding: "We look forward to the next steps." Both airlines, along with IAG, have previously expressed interest in taking a TAP shareholding. Portugal's government had declared its intention to sell a 49.9% stake, making 44.9% available to private investors and offering the remaining 5% to employees.