Narrative
Full Description
Project narrative
On July 27 2022, it was announced that CDB Aviation Lease Finance DAC — the wholly-owned Ireland-based subsidiary of China Development Bank Financial Leasing Co., Limited (CDB Leasing) — entered into a sale-and-leaseback agreement with Aer Lingus — the flag carrier airline of Ireland — for two Airbus A320neo aircraft. The aircraft were intended for the summer season. Initial media reports indicated that the aircraft would be delivered to Aer Lingus in July 2022. However, the delivery of the first aircraft occurred in late September 2022, with the first being placed into service on September 28, 2022. The second aircraft was delivered to Aer Lingus and began operations in October 2022. The aircraft are predominantly for short-haul flights between Dublin and London Heathrow, and support the airlines' sustainability targets.
Staff comments
1. A lease is a contractual arrangement calling for the lessee (user) to pay the lessor (owner) for use of an asset. The lessor is the legal owner of the asset, while the lessee obtains the right to use the asset in return for regular rental payments. Under a capital lease (a financial arrangement where the lessee/borrower uses an asset and pays regular installments plus interest to the lender/lessor), rental payments are usually classified as interest and obligation payments, similarly to a mortgage (with the interest calculated each rental period on the outstanding obligation balance). AidData codes capital leases as loans. 2. Sale and leaseback (or sale-leaseback) agreements are generally considered to be off-balance-sheet hybrid debt products. 3. The specific signing date is unknown. For the time being, AidData has coded the announcement date as the Commitment_Date field and marked the Commitment_Date_Estimated? field as True.