DUBLIN, May 25 (Reuters) - Consolidation of the global aircraft leasing industry is likely to be accelerated by COVID-19, the head of one of the world’s five largest lessors, SMBC Aviation Capital, said in an interview on Tuesday. “You were always going to see increasing levels of consolidation and... I believe it is likely that the events of the last 18 months are likely to probably accelerate that a bit,” Chief Executive Peter Barrett said. Barrett, who estimated the leasing industry owns over 40% of the global passenger fleet, said that if any opportunities “present value and fit into our strategy, we’ll certainly have a look at them.” (Reporting by Conor Humphries, editing by Louise Heavens) Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.