PRESS RELEASE

 

12 July 2004

 

debis AirFinance has Delivered 14 Aircraft on Lease in the Second Quarter of 2004

Aircraft Trading Activities Increased With 4 Acquisitions and 4 Sales

 

debis AirFinance, one of the world's largest aircraft leasing and asset management companies, announced today that it has delivered fourteen aircraft to nine airlines on operating lease in the second quarter of 2004, reflecting the recovery of the industry. In addition to closing the fourteen operating lease transactions, debis AirFinance expanded its portfolio with three Airbus A320 and one new Airbus A321 and sold two Boeing 737-200 and two Fokker 50 turboprops.

 

The leasing company delivered in the second quarter of 2004:

  • A newly purchased Airbus A321 to South Korean carrier Asiana Airlines in a sale-and-leaseback transaction, with a second plane scheduled for delivery in September
  • Three Fokker 100 to Irish operator EUJet
  • One F100 to Taiwanese carrier Mandarin Airlines, with two more F100s scheduled for delivery in the next couple of months
  • Two Boeing 737-500 to Slovakian low-fare carrier SkyEurope Airlines
  • One Fokker 100 to Western Australia based regional carrier Skywest with a second Fokker 100 delivery scheduled for July 2004
  • One A320 to Sicilian operator Wind Jet
  • Three Airbus A320-200 to new low-fare carrier Wizz Air, with three more A320s to follow over the next few weeks

 

 

debis AirFinance has also remarketed two aircraft owned by AerCo, a securitisation entity with a portfolio of 60 aircraft, for which debis AirFinance acts as servicer:

·        One Boeing 737-300 was delivered to Norwegian Air Shuttle

·        One Boeing 737-400 was placed with Transaero Airlines in Russia

 

Five of the lessees (Mandarin Airlines, SkyEurope, Transaero Airlines, Wind Jet and Wizz Air) were new customers for debis AirFinance.

 

Klaus Heinemann, Chief Executive Officer of debis AirFinance, said: “Over the last few months we have seen a rapid recovery in the volumes of global passenger and cargo traffic. Airlines have started adding capacity again to meet current and anticipated future demand. As a result, lease rentals are also recovering, albeit at varying levels for different aircraft types and with a certain time lag. We have even noticed cases of competition between airlines for specific lease aircraft.”

 

About debis AirFinance

debis AirFinance provides aircraft leasing to airlines and asset management services to third parties such as investors and banks. The company has a total owned and managed fleet of over 250 jets and turboprops (Boeing/ MDC, Airbus, Fokker, Dornier, ATR, DHC). debis AirFinance, headquartered at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport, has a worldwide presence with offices in Shannon, Ireland and Fort Lauderdale, Florida/United States.

 

For further information on debis AirFinance please contact:

 

Frauke Oberdieck      

 

Corporate Communications

 

debis AirFinance

Evert van de Beekstraat 312

Tel.: +31 20  655 9616

1118 CX Schiphol Airport Amsterdam

Fax: +31 20 655 9100

The Netherlands

Email: foberdieck@debisairfinance.com

www.debisairfinance.com