Steven F. Udvar-Hazy

This poster featuring Steven F. Udvar-Hazy appears at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Chantilly, Virginia.

Steven F. Udvar-Hazy, Executive Chairman of Air Lease Corporation, has a passion aviation. He has been fascinated with airplanes since his mother took him to an air show when he was seven, He is an FAA certified Airline Transport Pilot with over 40 years experience, he even helped design the most modern airliner jets in use today, Steve's connections to the airline industry have touched every part of commercial aviation. Born in Budapest shortly after WWII in Communist-controlled Hungary, Steve saw airplanes as a means to Freedom. His family fled to the United States when he was 12, Living in New York, Steve often visited La Guardia Airport and Idlewild Airport (now JFK), studying the aircraft, airlines, their routes, and their flight patterns, His family moved to Los Angeles during the Viet Nam conflict, that's when 16-year-old Steve saw a need for a small airline to fly from a regional military base to Los Angele, to connect families. At 21, his idea become “Astro Air,” his first venture into the airline business.

In college, Steve worked out of the trunk of his car as broker connecting airlines for the purchase and sale of their aircraft. By 27 he had figured out it would be best to “own” the aircraft himself and so he started a company called International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC) in 1973 which leased aircraft to the airlines around the world, ILFC grew into the largest aircraft lessor owning over 1,000 aircraft with over 150 airline customers worldwide.

Not content with one company, in 2010 he began another aircraft leasing company, Air Lease Corporation (ALC). As of 2018, ALC owns and has on order Jets, leased to airlines around the world.
Steve has personally been involved in purchasing the largest number of aircraft from Boeing and Airbus, recording well over 1,000 aircraft acquired from each.

Steve and his wife Christine have two sons and two daughters, and two grandsons, In 2000 Steve had the opportunity to give back to the country that accepted his family when he was a Child. He donated more than $65 million to the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum to help build this center. Although he lives in Los Angeles, Steve makes frequent visits to his favorite aircraft this center and the Museum on the National Mall.

Steven Udvar-Haxy is #529 on Forbes list of billionaires.