Turkish Airlines, received the prestigious “Leveraged Loan Deal of the Year” award at the Global Banking & Markets: CEE, CIS & Türkiye Awards ceremony, in Istanbul on 20thNovember 2024. This award once again highlights Turkish Airlines’ success in implementing innovative financing structures while sustainably expanding its modern fleet.
Flying to more countries than any other airline, Turkish Airlines is able tocontinueto executeits innovative financing transactions to minimize currency risks and ensure cost efficiency through its diversified revenue streams. The financing transactions, arranged by BNP Paribas with partnership of Development Bank of Japan (DBJ), included a Balthazar Insurance-Backed Financing Structure for one Airbus A350 aircraft and a UK Export Finance (UKEF) Guaranteed Financing for two Rolls Royce engines. The total financing amount, equivalent to approximately 235 million USD in JPY, was recognized as the “Leveraged Loan Deal of the Year” by Global Banking & Markets.
Commenting on the award and financing transactions, Turkish Airlines’ Chief Financial Officer and Member of the Board and the Executive Committee, Assoc. Prof. Murat Şekerstated; “We are pleased to see that this exemplary financing transaction, which we executed with our business partners, has been crowned with such a prestigious award. It is the endorsement of our success in creating and implementing different financing structures to access the most cost-effective financing while modernizing our fleet with new generation aircraft. We would like to thank all our business partners who supported us in this award-winning financing transaction and hope to continue our successful partnership.”
Turkish Airlines aircraft financing team achieves one of the lowest financing costs in the airline industry with its experienced staff who has a comprehensive knowledge on a large array of aircraft financing structures. The national flag carrier has been deemed worthy of many financing awards by world-renowned organizations such as Global Transport Finance and Airline Economics, Airfinance Journal, and Bonds, Loans & Sukuk Turkey with its creative financing models, many of which have been implemented for the first time, since 2009. Turkish Airlines has crowned its success in this regard, as having won 30 international aircraft finance awards in the last ten years for its successful executions amounting to approximately 16 billion USD.