Arizona Tribune - AELF Expands Global Commercial Team

CHICAGO, IL / ACCESS Newswire / September 4, 2026 / AELF, a leader in commercial aircraft leasing and financing, has expanded its commercial team with the addition of two international hires, Yong Kang "YK" Tay and Kevin Phelan, strengthening its presence across Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

"With a strong capital markets base in place, we are primed to expand our deal origination capability while continuing to execute on the strategies that have built our success to date," said Joe Cirillo, President and Chief Commercial Officer for AELF. "We took great care in finding the right candidates to match our needs, culture and vision for the future. We couldn't be happier to welcome YK and Kevin to our team and add depth to our presence in key regions around the world."

YK Tay has joined AELF as Senior Vice President, Marketing - Asia. Based in Singapore, YK will cover the Asia market for the lessor. He joins from Aircastle, where he served as Senior Vice President of Marketing for Asia-Pacific and was responsible for key business development functions-originating leases, building airline partnerships, and structuring commercial transactions. YK also previously worked at ICF as an advisor to aviation clients. He holds an M.Sc. in Global Finance from NYU Stern and a B.Eng. in Mechanical Engineering from the National University of Singapore.

Kevin Phelan, based in Dublin, has joined as Vice President, Marketing - Middle East & Africa. He comes to AELF from Clover Aviation Capital, where he focused on originating and placing aircraft and engine transactions with Japanese equity investors across the EMEA region. Kevin previously worked at GTLK Europe, originating and executing aircraft transactions, and at Goshawk, where he managed lease portfolios and airline relationships globally. He holds a Diploma in Aviation Leasing and Finance from the Law Society of Ireland and a Bachelor of Law degree from University College Cork.

AELF is an experienced, US-based commercial aircraft lessor offering customized, flexible capital solutions to airlines, lessors, banks, and non-traditional aircraft owners. In operation for over a decade, AELF continues to expand its commercial aircraft and engine portfolio, primarily comprised of A330 and 737 aircraft types. The company acquires aircraft on lease with a broad range of airline partners and also acquires dormant or stub-leased assets, returning them to service through maintenance and re-marketing programs. AELF is an Expedition Partners company. Learn more at www.aelfinc.com and www.expeditionpartnersllc.com.

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Contact:

Jacqueline Benson
[email protected]

SOURCE: Aircraft Engine Lease Finance, Inc. (AELF)

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

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