Aircraft Finance & Leasing News

AirGuide Business, Jan 14, 2008

Jan 14, 2008

Aerospace shares decline on warning of slowdown in orders. Warnings that orders will slow in 2008 sent shares of aerospace companies tumbling on Monday. Boeing lost 3.5%, while shares of Airbus parent EADS fell 7.5%. Analysts noted the weak dollar is hurting EADS. Jan 8, 2008

AWAS, Airbus

AWAS Orders 75 Airbus A320s. Dublin-based aircraft leasing firm AWAS said on Wednesday Jan. 9 it had agreed to buy 75 Airbus A320 aircraft and that it had options to buy a further 25 in a deal worth USD$6.9 billion at current list prices. AWAS, which is owned by European private equity firm Terra Firma Capital Partners, last year acquired Pegasus Aviation Finance making it one of the world's three largest aircraft leasing companies. AWAS owns or manages a total of 320 aircraft. The company said last month it had placed an order with Boeing for 31 single-aisle 737 planes worth about USD$2.3 billion at list prices. The narrow-body 737 competes with Airbus's A320 family of aircraft. Jan 9, 2008

AWAS, Airbus

Irish leasing firm places large order for Airbus jetliners. Airbus has won a large order from Irish leasing firm AWAS for up to 100 jetliners. The deal is worth $6.9 billion based on list prices. Airbus and Boeing have said that they expect demand for jetliners to slow this year. Jan 9, 2008

Bombardier, Libyan Airlines

Bombardier said Libyan Airlines exercised two CRJ900 NextGen options from an order placed in June. The three firm aircraft from the original order already have been delivered and the two new aircraft are worth $76 million at list prices, the manufacturer said. They will be configured with seven business class seats and 68 in economy. Jan 7, 2008

Eclipse

Charter Operators Utilizing Eclipse 500 Jets.As of Dec. 13, we tracked air charter operators to see how many of them were approved to fly passengers on Eclipse 500 very light jets. In doing so, we checked operators D085s, a document issued by the Federal Aviation Administration that approves commercial use of such aircraft. Boca Raton, Fla.-based, DayJet Services LLC (air carrier certificate WGEA500K) dba DayJet Services and Wingedfoot Services, has the largest fleet of Eclipse VLJs in the world. As of Dec. 20, DayJet s D085 listed 26 Eclipse jets and one Learjet 60.http://www.dayjet.com Jan 9, 2008

Eclipse

North American Jet Charter Group was the world s first operator to receive FAA certification to operate Eclipse VLJs and was first to fly passengers on its managed Eclipse aircraft. Based at Chicago Executive Airport (PWK), NAJCG has two Eclipse VLJs and various other aircraft, tallying seven planes on its D085.http://www.najet.net Jan 9, 2008

Finnair, ATR, Utair

Finnair announced the sale of the last three ATR72s operated by its Aero subsidiary to Russia's Utair. Aero's four other ATR 72s were sold last year to ATR Leasing. The company now no longer operates any propeller aircraft, although Finnair Technical Services will continue to provide ATR maintenance for third parties. Jan 7, 2008

Kuwait Airways

Kuwait Airways management has been keen to privatize the firm to make it more competitive but many deputies resisted the move, fearing it would put the jobs of Kuwaiti employees at risk. The carrier, which lost most of its fleet during Iraq's 1990-1991 occupation of Kuwait, will place orders with manufacturers only after the privatization, Ahmed Baqer, head of parliament's financial committee, told reporters after the vote. KAC currently has 17 aircraft. Jan 10, 2008

Kuwait Airways, Airbus, Boeing

Kuwait Airways canceled an order worth USD$3 billion for 19 Airbus and Boeing planes with Kuwait's Aviation Lease and Finance (Alafco) in August after MPs blocked the deal. Kuwait Airways management resigned afterwards. The auction for a 35 percent stake will be open to "specialist foreign firms" and listed Kuwaiti firms but not to domestic aviation companies, the bill stipulated. The IPO will be open only to Kuwaitis. Deputies secured a pledge from the state that Kuwait Airways's Kuwaiti employees who lose their jobs would be hired by the state. The airline, which analysts say is overstaffed, will offer early retirement packages to workers. The IPO would be the latest in the regional aviation sector. Low cost carriers Sharjah-based Air Arabia and Kuwait's Jazeera Airways both sold shares to the public in 2007. Dubai's state-owned airline Emirates, the largest Arab carrier, is also mulling selling shares in an IPO. Jan 10, 2008

TAG Aviation, Cessna Mustang

TAG and Blink.TAG has partnered with Blink Ltd., a new European air-taxi service that ordered 30 Cessna Mustang very light jets. http://www.flyblink.co.uk Jan 9, 2008

TAP Portugal, AerVenture, Airbus

AerVenture Ltd., a joint venture among AerCap Holdings, LoadAir and Al Fawares, will lease six new Airbus A320-200s to TAP Portugal under eight-year lease agreements. Aircraft will be delivered in 2009 and are part of a 2005 order from Airbus. Jan 9, 2008

ZZ

Editorial eMail: edit@AirGuideOnline.com For Air Transport & Travel Business Experts contact our Director of Content Aram Gesar eMail: bizintel@AirGuideOnline.com