AIG unit sale likely to be approved (3)

ILFC owns or manages more than 1,000 aircraft and is committed to purchasing 229 new aircraft. ILFC also has a customer base of about 200 airlines in 80 countries.

The network and international experience of ILFC is attractive for Chinese leasing companies, which are new and lack professional knowledge in the international market, some business insiders said.

"Purchasing the stake in ILFC is good for Chinese leasing companies to enter the international market directly," said Zou Jianjun, a professor at the Civil Aviation Management Institute of China.

The strong domestic demand in China will support the aircraft-leasing business, while the global aviation industry is going down, Zou said.

"It is also reasonable move for Chinese leasing companies, which plan to expand their fleets through the acquisition," he said.

Boeing Co has forecast that China will need 5,260 new aircraft from 2012 to 2031, and the Aviation Industry Corp of China has also announced that China will have a need for 4,933 new aircraft in the next 20 years.