Crédit Agricole CIB named in three Asia-Pacific Deals of the Year by Airline Economics Aviation 100

Airline Economics, the aviation and leasing sector’s flagship publication, announced the winners of its Aviation 100 Asia-Pacific Deals of the Year Awards during its annual conference in Singapore. 

Crédit Agricole CIB received three awards at this special occasion, recognising the year's most outstanding performers in the commercial aviation industry, and demonstrating once again that our Bank is one of the world leaders in aviation finance and notably in the Asia-Pacific region, active for over 45 years in this field. 

In 2023, we supported airline and leasing customers by offering innovative financing solutions Will open in a new tab  through our structuring, lending and capital markets capabilities, providing added-value financing services to them with a particular focus on sustainability. 

As a founding member of the recent Climate-Aligned Aviation Finance Working Group, we aim to deliver a robust and effective framework for the benefit of all aviation finance stakeholders, including banks, investors, airlines and lessors, to progress on the low-carbon roadmap, firmly believing that decarbonisation is essential to secure the long-term future of the aviation industry.

• Sustainable Finance Deal of the Year Asia-Pacific 2023 for the sustainability-linked JOLCO financing of one Airbus A321NEO aircraft for Cathay Pacific. We acted as Global Arranger and Sustainability Structurer, Lender, Facility Agent and Security Trustee.
  In March 2023, HK Express, a member of the Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific Group, took delivery of its very first A321neo. The financing terms are linked to the Cathay Pacific Group achieving certain sustainability-linked targets related to the proportion of new generation aircraft in its fleet and the gradual increase in the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). This follows another sustainability-linked financing arrangement for the Cathay Pacific’s A321neo aircraft delivered in June 2022 for which we also acted as Sustainability Structurer.
   
• Bank Financing Deal of the Year Asia-Pacific 2023 for the financing of a portfolio of 15 newest generation aircraft for CBD Aviation. We acted as Debt Coordinator, Mandated Lead Arranger, Facility Agent and Security Trustee.
  In November 2022, CDB Aviation, a wholly owned Irish subsidiary of China Development Bank Financial Leasing Co., Ltd. (“CDB Leasing”), entered into a seven-year facility agreement for a $650 million secured portfolio financing of 15 Airbus and Boeing aircraft: Airbus A320/A321NEO, A330-900 and Boeing 737-8 and 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.
   
• Supported Finance Deal of the Year Asia Pacific 2023 for the Balthazar Insurance-covered financing of two Airbus aircraft for Asiana Airlines. We acted as Facility Agent and Security Trustee.
  In September 2023, South Korean Asiana Airlines took delivery of one new Airbus A350-900 aircraft, the first of two aircraft to be financed under a Balthazar private insurance format.