Aircraft Finance & Leasing News - Asia / Pacific

AirGuide Business, Feb 25, 2008

Feb 25, 2008

Asia is forecast to be the largest single aviation market, accounting for 27 percent of all air travel and nearly 300 million more travellers than today, said Giovanni Bisignani, chief executive of International Air Transport Association (IATA) at the Singapore Airshow. However, with airlines looking to pass on high fuel costs by raising surcharges, and the possibility of a global economic slowdown, consumers may not think about taking hops around the region. IATA expects growth in international air traffic to slow in 2008 and projects passenger traffic demand to fall to 5 percent from 7.4 percent in 2007. Feb 22, 2008

Asia's industry may prove more resilient given its high growth, experts said. Randy Tinseth, a vice president of Boeing's commercial planes division, said a global slowdown would not affect air travel in Asia as much as it had in the past. Feb 22, 2008

Air Tahiti, ATR

Air Tahiti ordered one ATR72-500, the turboprop maker announced at the show. The aircraft will be equipped with ETOPS capability, have a 66-seat configuration and be powered by PW127M engines. The purchase is valued at more than $18 million and brings the number of ATR72-500s currently on order by the French Polynesian operator to four. All will be delivered in 2008 and 2009. Feb 21, 2008

Boeing

Boeing lands orders for 60 jetliners from Indonesian carriers. Two Indonesian carriers have booked orders for 60 jetliners with Boeing. The orders were announced Tuesday at the Singapore Air Show. The orders are worth more than $5.4 billion, based on list prices. Lion Air ordered 56 Boeing 737-900ER planes, and Garuda ordered four Boeing 777-300ER airplanes. Feb 20, 2008

CIT Aerospace, Qantas Airways, Airbus

CIT Aerospace announced the delivery of a second new Airbus A330-200 to Qantas Airways. Feb 20, 2008

Garuda Indonesia, Boeing

Garuda Indonesia orders 35 Boeing aircraft valued at $4.76 billion. Garuda Indonesia kicked off the Singapore Airshow with an order for 10 777-300ERs and 25 737-800s collectively valued at $4.76 billion. The order replaces a 1996 commitment for six 777-200ERs and 18 737-700s that long since had lapsed due to the Asian currency crisis. The carrier also took purchase rights on a further 25 737-800s and 10 777-300ERs and said the first 777-300ERs will be delivered in 2010 and will replace our 747-400s. Feb 20, 2008

Garuda Indonesia, Boeing

Garuda Indonesia is expected to order at this week's Singapore Airshow 10 Boeing 777-200ERs to support route expansion plans to Europe, the Middle East and North Asia. The order is in addition to a commitment for 10 787s. Feb 19, 2008

International Lease Finance

Commercial jetmakers have booked few large orders at the Singapore Airshow, suggesting a deeper downturn than previously forecast. Some observers note that the global credit crisis has affected the ability of airlines to finance new planes. "Just like in the home mortgage sector, airlines need to put more equity into financing aircrafts. This will have a cash strain on the airline industry," International Lease Finance Corp. CEO Steven Udvar-Hazy said. Airbus and Boeing posted strong orders in 2007 and are expecting fewer orders in 2008. Feb 22, 2008

Japan Airlines, Airbus

Japan Airlines planned on buying 35 Boeing 787s, but production delays have prompted it to consider purchasing Airbus A350 XWB jetliners, according to media reports. A spokeswoman for the airline said it is studying its fleet plans but has not made any decisions. Feb 22, 2008

Korean Air Lines, Airbus

Korean Air Lines placed a firm order for three additional A380s, bringing its commitment to the jumbo jet to eight, Airbus announced yesterday. The newly ordered aircraft are scheduled to arrive in 2012-13. Korean Air expects its first A380 in 2010, when it will introduce the plane on routes to the western US. The A380 program now boasts 192 firm orders from 16 customers. Feb 19, 2008

Lion Air, Boeing

Lion Air orders 56 more Boeing 737-900ERs valued at $4.4 billion. Indonesia's rapidly expanding LCC Lion Air ordered an additional 56 737-900ERs valued at $4.4 billion, bringing its firm commitments for the type to 178. The airline also took purchase rights on a further 50. It launched the 737-900ER program in July 2005 with an order for 30. The -900ERs are replacing a mixed fleet of MD-80s, MD-90s and 737-300s. Feb 20, 2008

Lion Air, Boeing

Indonesia's Lion Air, at this week's Singapore Airshow, which has eight Boeing 737-900ERs in service and a further 114 on order, is expected to add to that number with orders this week. Feb 19, 2008

Q Aviation, Boeing

Q Aviation placed an order for 10 Boeing 767-300BCFs with 10 options. It is the first leasing company to order the -300BCF, which was launched with All Nippon Airways in 2005. Feb 20, 2008

Shanghai Airlines

Shanghai Airlines will seek a USD$400 million loan from the China Development Bank for the purchase of aircraft from 2008 to 2010, the carrier said on Monday. The term of the loan, to be used for partial advance purchase of 22 aircraft, will be up to three years, Shanghai Airlines said in a statement filed with the Shanghai Stock Exchange. The company's chairman said in December it was considering an order for Airbus A330 medium-range aircraft as it speeds up the expansion of its international network. Shanghai Airlines earlier placed an order for nine Boeing 787 jets. It is scheduled to launch daily flights to the United States and the German city of Hamburg in 2008. Feb 18, 2008