Finance
UK competition watchdog to probe Sumitomo's Macquarie helicopter deal
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on October 7, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
Global Banking and Finance Review
Company
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on October 7, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
The UK's CMA is probing Sumitomo's $1B acquisition of Macquarie's helicopter leasing unit, assessing market competition impacts.
(Reuters) -Britain's competition regulator said on Tuesday that it has opened an investigation into the proposed acquisition of Macquarie Group's helicopter leasing division by a Sumitomo Corporation subsidiary.
SMFL LCI Helicopters, a helicopter‑leasing joint venture of Sumitomo Mitsui Finance and Leasing, said in March it would buy the Macquarie unit, which has a fleet of about 120 leased aircraft, in a deal valued at slightly over $1 billion, Nikkei reported.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it is assessing whether the deal could lead to a "substantial lessening of competition" in any UK market for goods or services.
Macquarie did not immediately respond to a request for comment, while Sumitomo could not be reached.
The CMA has set a deadline of December 3 for its phase 1 decision.
(Reporting by DhanushVignesh Babu in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid)
An acquisition is a corporate action in which one company purchases another company, gaining control of its assets and operations. This can be done through cash, stock, or a combination of both.
Helicopter leasing refers to the practice of renting helicopters to businesses or individuals for various purposes, such as transportation, tourism, or emergency services, typically under a contractual agreement.
A joint venture is a business arrangement where two or more parties collaborate to undertake a specific project or business activity, sharing resources, risks, and profits.
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