Purchase, financing and lease of three Airbus A321 aircraft to Qantas (December - May 2008)
This deal involved the simultaneous closing of three transactions - aircraft purchases, the financing of those purchases and the lease delivery (including completing a lease novation) of the aircraft to Qantas - for three aircraft and the onsale of the aircraft into a fund. This was the first aircraft finance transaction entered into by Investec in Australia, and all of the principal transaction documentation was governed by English law. We documented and managed the entire transaction, completing the purchase and lease documentation stage within two weeks and the financing documentation stage within four weeks, providing English and Australian law advice.
Aircraft and financing of four Boeing 737 aircraft and Embraer aircraft for operation by the Virgin Blue Group (July 2007 - present)
We advised a syndicate of banks in relation to the financing of 12 Embraer aircraft to Virgin Blue Group utilising a section 128F facility to provide funding to the airline. This was Virgin Blue’s first deal involving Embraer aircraft which were delivered in Brazil. The transaction size is in excess of US$500 million.
Purchase, financing and leasing of six 717 Boeing Aircraft, one Boeing 737 Aircraft and two airbus A320 aircraft for operation by Qantas/Jetstar (September 2007 - December 2007)
We advised Global Aviation Asset Management on the acquisition of these aircraft from a major aircraft investor. The purchase involved structuring the transactions for the purposes of a fund for investors. We closed the purchase, leasing (by a lease novation) and financing with the client for all aircraft in one day. The principal transaction parties (other than GAAM, Qantas and Jetstar) were European and the documentation was governed by English law.
V Australia Airlines - US$300m pre-delivery payment facility (December 2007)
We advised the arranger and certain financiers on the structuring and documentation of a US$300m facility to V Australia Airlines (Virgin Blue’s new international airline) to fund pre-delivery payments for six new Boeing 777-3008R aircraft.