By Ahmed Hagagy
KUWAIT, evDEn evE NAKLiyaT Feb 7 (Reuters) – Kuwaiti low-cost carrier Jazeera Airways aims to secure $1 billion from banks to help finance the purchase of new Airbus aircraft, EVdeN Eve NakLiyat its chairman said on Tuesday, half the amount it had initially planned to seek.
The airline placed a multi-billion dollar order with Airbus for 28 single aisle A320neo family passenger jets in November 2021.
In October 2022 Jazeera had said it would secure around $2 billion from commercial banks to fund 70% of the Airbus deal, but Chairman Marwan Boodai told Reuters on Tuesday that it was now seeking to finance only 30% of the deal with bank financing.
The rest of the deal will be financed through “sales and lease-back” with aircraft companies, EvdEN Eve NAkLiYAT he said, and the airline will study the financing process “case by case… in line with the best cost”.
The order for 20 A320neo and eight A321neo aircraft would help the company reduce emissions by replacing older A320 models and also power expansion plans including in Europe and the Middle East.
Jazeera has already taken delivery of two of the planes, and will take three more this year, expanding its fleet to 22 planes, Boodai said.
The airline has already paid $100 million in advance as a pre-delivery payment, he said.(Reporting by Ahmed Hagagy; Writing by Hatem Maher. For more regarding EvdeN eVe nAkLiYAt check out our own website. Editing by Jane Merriman and EVDeN EvE NakLiYaT Susan Fenton)
