AviLease, a global aircraft lessor has announced the successful raising of a US$2.5 billion, five-year unsecured term facility. This facility will be utilised, among other purposes, to fully refinance a bridge facility that AviLease secured in 2023 when it acquired Standard Chartered’s aircraft leasing platform.
The financing is split into two parts: a conventional facility of US$1.73 billion and a Shariah-compliant facility of US$770 million. AviLease attracted significant interest across local, regional, and international markets, with the facility being 2.7-times oversubscribed.
Mr. Fahad Al-Saif, Chairman of the Board of Directors of AviLease, stated: “The robust market response and the diverse profiles of lenders, including both existing and new participants, underscore global confidence in our business model and growth prospects. Beyond the bank market, AviLease will continue exploring various debt funding sources as we deliver on our ambitious strategic objectives, which aim to contribute to the Kingdom’s aviation ecosystem.”
AviLease CEO, Mr. Edward O’Byrne, expressed his satisfaction with the deal, saying: “We are delighted to announce the successful closing of this US$2.5 billion, five-year unsecured term financing facility, supported by a syndicate of banking partners across three continents—demonstrating the global confidence banks have in AviLease. We are grateful to our lenders for their continued support and long-term trust. The demand exceeded our expectations, and we thank our banking partners for their help in achieving this outcome.” He added, “It is essential for us to rely on a broad range of trusted global financial partners with strong balance sheets, ensuring continued funding to support our growth objectives over the years.”
AviLease reaffirmed its commitment to fleet expansion as it pursues its goal of becoming one of the top-10 aircraft leasing companies in the world by 2030.
Headquartered in Riyadh, AviLease operates globally, with offices in Dublin, Limerick, Singapore, and Fort Lauderdale. The company’s current portfolio includes 180 owned and managed aircraft, with a total book value of US$6.5 billion.
