reader Posted May 3, 2021 Posted May 3, 2021 NOTE -- Before the deal, SIA had 55 A350's and 15 B787's, the most fuel efficient aircraft in its fleet. No doubt it would have preferred to eliminate some of its 19 A380's but there are no takers for that type at the moment. From Reuters Singapore Airlines Ltd said on Monday it had raised about S$2 billion ($1.50 billion) through sale-and-leaseback deals for 11 of its planes to help bolster liquidity as it grapples with the pandemic-related plunge in travel. The airline said it would continue to explore other ways to raise liquidity after reaching deals with four parties over seven Airbus SE A350-900s and four Boeing Co 787-10s. Rivals such as Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd and Qantas Airways Ltd have done similar deals during the pandemic. “The additional liquidity from these sale-and-leaseback transactions reinforces our ability to navigate the impact of the COCVID-19 pandemic from a position of strength,” Singapore Airlines Chief Executive Goh Choon Phong said in a statement. Singapore Airlines said it had access to more than S$2.1 billion of undrawn credit lines and an option to raise up to S$6.2 billion in convertible bonds before its annual meeting in July 2021. The airline lacks a domestic market and has been hit hard by the virtual halt to international passenger travel because of border controls and quarantine measures. Singapore Airlines reported a 99.6% decline in passenger numbers in April relative to the prior year. https://www.reuters.com/article/singapore-air-financing/singapore-airlines-raises-15-bln-from-airplane-sale-and-leaseback-deals-idUSL1N2MQ016 Quote
