The first day of the seventh Airline Economics Growth Frontiers Dublin conference attracted a large audience in the hall throughout the day as delegates heard from some of the largest names in aviation finance and aircraft leasing. Air Lease Corporation’s (ALC) top executives Steven Udvar-Hazy and John Plueger gave their views of the current operating environment as well as identifying some of the challenges ahead for both airlines and lessors. Leading lessors debated some of the hottest topics in the industry.
On the supported finance panel, Airbus confirmed that it is preparing an insurance-backed aircraft finance product with five highly-rated insurance companies and five core banks. Airbus does not have a backlog of aircraft financings waiting for export credit deals and so is searching for the right credits for this new product that will be launched in the first half of 2018.
UK Export Finance confirmed that fresh from supporting financing of Rolls-Royce engines on 787 aircraft, has also supported financings of Bombardier C Series, which is assembled in the UK, that closed in December 2017.
Last night Airline Economics also hosted the Aviation 100 Awards gala dinner at Simmonscourt at the RDS where attendees boarded an aircraft to be treated to whiskey cocktails, dinner in flight, as well as an opera-backed aerial display. The award winners are listed below.
| Aviation 100 Awards 2018 | |
|---|---|
| European M&A Deal of the Year | IMM Investment Corp. as the Exclusive M&A Advisor for Crianza Aviation's acquisition of a majority stake in EastMerchant |
| Americas M&A Deal of the Year | Einn Volant Aircraft Leasing $2bn aircraft financing platform - strategic partnership between GECAS and CDPQ |
| New Leasing Entity Award | SDH Wings |
| Overall Capital Markets Deal of the Year | Wings Capital Partners (WAVE 2017 - 1) |
| Overall Freighter Finance Deal of the Year | Atlas Air Worldwide $146.5MM Lease Monetization |
| Overall Airport Deal of the Year | Mexico City New Airport - $4bn 2017-2 senior secured notes issuance |
| Overall Equity Deal of the Year | Sale of 20% stake in Aviation Capital Group by Pacific Life to Tokyo Century |
| Overall Debt Deal of the Year | Worldstar and Oaktree Capital's acquisition of 18 aircraft from Investec with financing and ABS (SPRITE 2017-1) led by Mizhuo and Morgan Stanley |
| Overall Lease Deal of the Year | Norwegian AS JOLCO financing for one 787-9 Rolls-Royce powered with UK Export Finance support |
| Overall M&A Deal of the Year | DAE's acquisition of AWAS |
| Overall Supported Finance Deal of the Year | Debut SACE guaranteed financing for Boeing aircraft delivered to SunExpress |
| Editor's Deal of the Year for Innovation | Aircraft Finance Insurance Consortium |
| Appraiser of the Year | IBA Group |
| Bank of the Year | Credit Agricole-CIB |
| Lessor of the Year | Air Lease Corporation |
| Airline of the Year | American Airlines |
| Law Firm of the Year | Clifford Chance |
| CEO/Industry leader of the Year | Aengus Kelly, CEO, AerCap |
| CFO/Treasurer of the Year | American Airlines CFO and Treasury Team |
| Overall Deal of the Year | Thunderbolt 2017-1 |
| Face of Aviation | John Feren |
| Lifetime Achievement Award | John Leahy |