<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2013-06-06</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>1</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001487712</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>AIR LEASE CORP</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>AL</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001259313</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>ARES MANAGEMENT LLC</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>2000 AVENUE OF THE STARS</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>12TH FLOOR</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>LOS ANGELES</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>CA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>90067</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001259042</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>ARES PARTNERS MANAGEMENT CO LLC</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>2000 AVENUE OF THE STARS</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>12TH FLOOR</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>LOS ANGELES</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>CA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>90067</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001428903</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>ARES CORPORATE OPPORTUNITIES FUND III LP</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>2000 AVENUE OF THE STARS</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>12TH FLOOR</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>LOS ANGELES</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>CA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>90067</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001449965</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Ares Special Situations Fund LP</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>2000 AVENUE OF THE STARS</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>12TH FLOOR</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>LOS ANGELES</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>CA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>90067</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001455063</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>ARES SPECIAL SITUATION FUND I-B LP</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>2000 AVENUE OF THE STARS</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>12TH FLOOR</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>LOS ANGELES</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>CA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>90067</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Class A common stock, par value $0.01 (''Common Stock'')</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2013-06-06</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>3062787</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>26.75</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>3881657</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F4"/>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">This amount does not include 10,624 shares of Class A Common Stock issued or issuable upon vesting of restricted stock units to Antony Ressler in connection with his service on Air Lease Corporation's board of directors. Mr. Ressler holds such securities for the benefit of Ares Management LLC (&quot;Ares Management&quot;), Ares Corporate Opportunities Fund III, L.P. (&quot;ACOF III&quot;), Ares Special Situations Fund, L.P. (&quot;ASSF&quot;) and Ares Special Situations Fund I-B, L.P. (&quot;ASSF I-B&quot;) and, pursuant to the policies of the Ares Entities (defined in footnote 2), has assigned to Ares Management all economic, pecuniary and voting rights in respect of such securities. Mr. Ressler disclaims beneficial ownership of such securities, except to the extent of any pecuniary interest therein.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">The amount reported is owned of record by the designated reporting persons, ACOF III, ASSF and ASSF I-B. The general partner of ACOF III is ACOF Management III, L.P. (''ACOF Management'') and the general partner of ACOF Management is ACOF Operating Manager III, LLC (''ACOF Operating''). The general partner of each of ASSF and ASSF I-B is ASSF Management, L.P. (''ASSF Management'') and the general partner of ASSF Management is ASSF Operating Manager, LLC (''ASSF Operating''). ACOF Operating and ASSF Operating are owned by Ares Management, which, in turn, is owned by Ares Management Holdings LLC (''AMH''). AMH is controlled by Ares Holdings LLC (''AH LLC''), which, in turn, is controlled by Ares Partners Management Company LLC (''APMC'' and together with ACOF III, ACOF Management, ACOF Operating, ASSF, ASSF I-B, ASSF Management, ASSF Operating, Ares Management, AMH and AH LLC, the ''Ares Entities''). APMC is managed by an executive committee comprised of (Continued in footnote 3)</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">Mr. Ressler, Michael Arougheti, David Kaplan, Gregory Margolies and Bennett Rosenthal. Because the executive committee acts by consensus/majority approval, none of the members of the executive committee has sole voting or dispositive power with respect to any shares of Common Stock. Each of the members of the executive committee, the Ares Entities (other than ACOF III, ASSF and ASSF I-B with respect to the shares held directly by ACOF III, ASSF and ASSF I-B, respectively) and the directors, officers, partners, stockholders, members and managers of the Ares Entities expressly disclaims beneficial ownership of any shares of Class A Common Stock, except to the extent of any pecuniary interest therein, and this Form 4 shall not be deemed an admission that any such person or entity is the beneficial owner of such securities for purposes of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or for any other purposes. (Continued in footnote 4)</footnote>
        <footnote id="F4">The address of each Ares Entity is 2000 Avenue of the Stars, 12th Floor, Los Angeles, California 90067.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Michael D. Weiner, Authorized Signatory of ACOF OPERATING MANAGER III, LLC, Manager, for ARES CORPORATE OPPORTUNITIES FUND III, L.P.</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2013-06-07</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Michael D. Weiner, Authorized Signatory of ASSF OPERATING MANAGER, LLC, General Partner, for ASSF MANAGEMENT, L.P., General Partner, for ARES SPECIAL SITUATIONS FUND, L.P. and ARES SPECIAL SITUATIONS FUND I-B, L.P.</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2013-06-07</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Michael D. Weiner, Authorized Signatory, for ARES MANAGEMENT LLC</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2013-06-07</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Michael D. Weiner, Authorized Signatory, for ARES PARTNERS MANAGEMENT COMPANY LLC</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2013-06-07</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
