Emirates to announce $1b financing for A380s

Emirates, the world’s biggest airline by international passenger traffic, will “soon” announce $1 billion (Dh3.67 billion) in financing to pay for four Airbus A380s it ordered, Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation and Chairman and chief executive of Emirates airline and Group, said in Dubai on Thursday. Reuters reported on Wednesday that Emirates airline will lease aircraft from a financing firm which will issue certificates worth $587.5 million across two tranches, a prospectus showed on Thursday. Doric Nimrod Air Finance Alpha will issue the Enhanced Equipment Trust Certificates (EETCs) to finance the purchase of the Airbus A380 aircraft. The Class A notes will raise $433.7 million and have a 10.4 year maturity while the class B notes will raise $153.7 million and carry a 6.9 year maturity, the preliminary terms showed. The notes will in part be used to finance four new AirbusA380 aircraft which will be leased to Emirates. Goldman Sachs Inc is arranging investor meetings which begin in London on June 22 and continue in the United States next week. Expected timing of the transaction is next week. An EETC is a financial security used in aircraft finance where the airline gets ownership of the planes on maturity of the certificates. The transactions are similar to a form of secured debt financing like mortgages. From gulfnews