Reuters exclusivley reported that CIT Group has kicked off the sale of its aircraft leasing assets by inviting more than a dozen entities to consider bidding, including China's HNA Group, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China's ICBC Leasing, and Japan's Orix Corp, sources familiar with the matter said.

According to the Reuters exclusive report, the sale of CIT's Commercial Air unit could fetch between $3 billion to $4 billion, with Century Tokyo Leasing, sovereign wealth fund China Investment Corp, CDB Leasing, plus some global pension funds and insurers, also invited to bid for the assets, the sources added.

Read the full Reuters exclusive: Chinese, Japanese Suitors Eye $4 Billion Sale of CIT Plane Leasing Unit